The 29th meeting of our Advisory Committee took place last week - thank you to all who joined in the course of 3 days! Outcomes 👉 www.ascobans.org/en/meeting/a... (report will follow) 🐬 @cms.int | @ospar.bsky.social | @helcominfo.bsky.social | @iwc-whales.bsky.social | @icesmarine.bsky.social

Animal culture discussed at AC29 this morning! Defined as 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘳 - 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 - 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, evidence of animal culture is found in many cetaceans🐬 ➡️ royalsocietypublishing.org/toc/rstb/202... @cms.int

AC29 is now underway! 🎉 From 16–18 September, the Advisory Committee is meeting online to review reports on pressures to small cetaceans, including noise, ocean energy, unexploded ordnance. 👉 Keep updated on key outcomes here: www.ascobans.org/en/meeting/a... 📷© IrkIngwer /Adobe Stock @cms.int

At AC29, Parties will report on Maritime Spatial Planning 🌊 Cetacean-sensitive MSP includes long-term strategy, spatial & temporal coordination, dynamic adaptation, incremental planning, mitigation, & environmental impact assessments. 👉 ascobans.org/en/document/maritime-spatial-planning @cms.int

Unexploded ordnance—a key issue at AC29—still litter ASCOBANS waters. Underwater blasting to clear them emits intense sound that can harm cetaceans + chemicals from decay or detonation add further pressure 💣 🔗 www.ascobans.org/en/meeting/a... @cms.int @helcominfo.bsky.social @ospar.bsky.social

Offshore renewable energy—a key agenda topic at AC29—helps fight climate change, but can harm cetaceans through noise, collisions, & habitat disruption. Careful planning & strong mitigation measures are necessary 🧰 ASCOBANS Resolution on Ocean Energy 🔗 www.ascobans.org/en/document/... @cms.int

🔊 Impulsive #noise –short, intense pulses of very loud sound from pile driving, seismic surveys, underwater explosions– can injure 🐬🐋 causing temporary or permanent hearing loss, bruising, organ rupture or death. This topic will be a key agenda item at the upcoming AC29 🔗ascobans.org @cms.int

👂 Cetaceans rely on sound to communicate, navigate, to find food. Continuous #underwaternoise – such as from shipping and ferry traffic – can cause disturbance and displacement. 🧾 The ASCOBANS AC will review countries' reports & new information on the topic at its 29th meeting on 16-18 Sept 2025.

🐬 Reminder! Registration for AC29 The 29ᵗʰ Meeting of the ASCOBANS Advisory Committee (AC29) will be held online, 16–18 September 2025. Parties and approved observer organisations can still register, by 17 August 2025. 🔗 Register via the meeting page: www.ascobans.org/en/meeting/a...

📣 The countdown is on to ASCOBANS AC29! Countries will come together to report on key pressures & threats facing small cetaceans in the Baltic, NE Atlantic, Irish and North Seas: 🌊 Ocean energy 💣 UXOs 🔊 Underwater noise 🗺️ Marine spatial planning Learn more: 🔗 www.ascobans.org/en/meeting/a...

It's Marine Protected Areas Day. MPAs are effective in - 🐟Safeguarding biodiversity 🪸Protecting food security 🌻Building climate resilience The world has pledged to protect 30% by 2030. Sustained pressure, ambition, and focus are critical if we’re to achieve the #30x30 goal. #MPADay

Today we welcomed Parliamentary State Secretary Mr. Carsten Träger from Germany’s @umweltministerium.de to meet with our Secretariat and Agreements at UN Bonn. 🇩🇪 We thank Mr. Träger and his delegation for his visit and for supporting our mission to safeguard migratory species & their habitats. 🐦🦇🐬

Plastics pose serious threats to cetaceans through: 🚫 ingestion 🥅 entanglement 🧪 chemical contamination 🌊 habitat disruption. Today 5 June is #WorldEnvironmentDay - and this year it's about taking action to end plastic pollution. Join the #BeatPlasticPollution movement: worldenvironmentday.global

Safeguarding the chain of habitats along migratory routes and keeping human use within sustainable limits is essential for migratory species across the world. 🐳 Thursday 22 May is the International #BiodiversityDay! Find out more at www.cbd.int/biodiversity... or @unbiodiversity.bsky.social

It's the International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise (#IDBHP)! 🐬 The Baltic's only native cetacean species, the #HarbourPorpoise is critically endangered in the Baltic Proper with only a few 100 remaining 🆘 More: www.ascobans.org/en/news/inte... About #IDBHP : www.ascobans.org/en/campaign/...

🐳 We are at the 36th Conference of the European Cetacean Society in Ponta Delgada, Azores! 💡Yesterday we hosted a lively workshop, brainstorming novel conservation & awareness-raising approaches to #SavetheBalticPorpoise 🐬 💙 Thank-you to all the participants! #ECSconference2025 #IDBHP

Could integrating human behaviour into the conservation of marine resources hold the potential to tackle pressing challenges in sustainability & ensure the longevity of our oceans for generations to come? 📄Read what the Working Group on Maritime Systems #WGMARS say 👉 www.ices.dk/news-and-eve...

Heartbreaking 💔 Thousands of whales, dolphins & porpoises die caught in fishing gear in UK waters each year. This has to stop. The Environmental Investigation Agency's new report suggests #bycatch solutions that could lead to thousands saved every year. 🐋 eia-international.org/report/catch...

The International Day of the Baltic Harbour Porpoise #IDBHP takes place on the 3rd Sunday in May, to increase public awareness of the #HarbourPorpoise population in the #Baltic Proper, which is threatened with extinction. 📆 18 May 2025. Tag us in your IDBHP event! See also fb.me/e/5Cerzrfaa

The 13th Meeting of the ASCOBANS North Sea Group (NSG) concluded today🐬 🎤 The NSG discussed #harbourporpoise conservation activities in the #NorthSea, bycatch, health, strandings +much more... 📑Recommendations & meeting report will be available in due course ➡️ www.ascobans.org/en/meeting/n...

🌊The North Sea is busier than ever & smart planning is essential. 🔎Join ICES Workshop on Cumulative Impact Assessments ✅Review tools & methods, recommend appropriate tools for cumulative impact assessments 🗓6–9 May 2025 ICES Hq, Copenhagen ➡️ ices.dk/community/gr... #GNSBI

The Baltic Proper harbour porpoise faces significant threats from #bycatch, but protecting them is possible. 🐬 Advice by @icesmarine.bsky.social identifies gears and locations where #mitigation measures would be most effective, recommending enhanced monitoring to close data gaps. loom.ly/4pXdg8A

Happy #WorldUnicornDay! 🦄 The ocean has its own unicorn - meet the narwhal, a tusked Arctic wonder! 📷 Minden Pictures

📣 Top job available at the Convention on Migratory Species! 🐋🦈🐳🐟🐢🦅🦉🦒🦍 ➡️See details in careers.un.org/jobSearchDes... PS. Did you know that the Executive Secretary of CMS is also the Exec Sec of ASCOBANS? 🐬

📢 BREAKING NEWS 🚨 Brazil will host #CMSCOP15 in Campo Grande from 23–29 March 2026! This crucial event will unite governments, scientists, indigenous peoples, local communities & conservationists to safeguard migratory wildlife and their vital habitats. 🐅 Learn more: www.cms.int/en/news/pres...

The 56th Meeting of the CMS Standing Committee (StC) has begun in Germany. Bridging the gap between COP sessions, the StC plays a vital role in ensuring international efforts to conserve migratory species move forward. Stay tuned for updates... Meeting docs & photos: www.cms.int/en/meeting/5...

Join us for the first Global Workshop on CMS Legislation. Discover strategies to strengthen national laws, address known & emerging threats to migratory species, and support ecological connectivity. Open to CMS Parties and observers from a wide range of organizations: www.cms.int/en/meeting/g...

CMS is looking to hire 2 consultants to work on: • State of knowledge report on impacts of deep-seabed mineral exploitation on migratory species: careers.un.org/jobSearchDes... • Report on the relationship between Fisheries Aggregating Devices & marine debris: careers.un.org/jobSearchDes...

The ASCOBANS Jastarnia Group held its 21st meeting this week🐬 🎤The group discussed activities in the #Baltic #harbourporpoise Range States, offshore wind energy construction, carbon capture & storage +much more... 📑Proceedings will be available in due course: www.ascobans.org/en/meeting/j...

Hello, BlueSky! 🌍 We're the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas 🌊🌊 Follow us for what's going on at ASCOBANS and for related stories, science & actions to safeguard #whales, #dolphins and #porpoises! 🐬