International news

More than 450 long-finned pilot whales became stranded in harbour in Tasmania

The 9th Meeting of the Parties (MOP9) to ASCOBANS concluded last Friday, 11 September 2020. Originally scheduled to take place in Brussels, the meeting was held virtually as a result of travel restrictions caused by the corona crisis. New resolutions were adopted on the critically endangered Harbour Porpoise population of the Baltic proper, on marine debris and on food availability and resource depletion.  Delegates also approved the Best Practice on Cetacean Post-mortem Investigation and Tissue Sampling and approved amendments to existing resolutions on the conservation of the Common Dolphin, bycatch, underwater noise and responses to stranding incidents.

The Central African Republic has ratified the Convention bringing the number of Parties to 131.

The Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wil

CMS in collaboration with WWF has published Guidelines for the Safe and Humane Handling and Release of Bycaught Small Cetaceans from Fishing Gear, which set out best practice on how to handle and release small cetaceans accidentally caught in fishing gear. Preventing fisheries bycatch is a top priority to ensure the conservation of species or populations. However, when these efforts fail and small cetaceans are found alive in or on fishing gear, this clear and comprehensive set of guidelines for the fishers involved will be of great benefit.

The Environment Agency — Abu Dhabi (EAD) announced that two Addax calves have been born in Chad. These calves are the first wild-born calves from a herd of 15 Addax, which were translocated from the United Arab Emirates to Chad in November 2019. These new-born calves give rise to renewed hope for the conservation of the Addax, which is on the verge of extinction.  Today, only 75 to 100 individuals remain in the wild.

Une étude révèle que les mammifères, oiseaux et reptiles dont le régime alimen

The World Fish Migration Foundation and the Zoological Society of London have issued a new report on the status of freshwater migratory fish. The Living Planet Index (LPI) for Migratory Freshwater Fish is the first comprehensive global report on the conservation status of these species.