Nov 02 - Gibraltar To Take Its Place In Cetaceans Conservation Agreement

Written by YGTV Team on 02 November 2015.

The Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS) is an international agreement established under the auspices of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP/CMS). It entered into force in 2001 and its purpose is to achieve and maintain a favourable conservation status for cetaceans which includes dolphins and whales. The Agreement covers the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea as well as a portion of the Atlantic waters located North and South of the Strait of Gibraltar.

Ratified some years ago by the UK, Gibraltar has never before taken a full role in the activities of the ACCOBAMS organisation. Its role has now been accepted and, as a first activity, the ACCOBAMS Secretariat has invited the Government's Department of the Environment and Climate Change (DECC) to take a full part in the ACCOBAMS Survey Initiative which is aimed at undertaking a comprehensive survey of the waters covered by the ACCOBAMS including British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW). The main objectives of the survey revolve around estimating cetacean populations and their distribution including marine reptiles and seabirds. As part of the project, Gibraltar has been given the opportunity to take part in the survey considering that cetaceans are commonly found and migrate through BGTW. Both Scientific and Environmental Protection Officers from the Department of the Environment and Climate Change, in collaboration with observers from GONHS, will be working with the Secretariat over the coming months to take forward this vitally important scientific exercise using all the marine assets available to the DoECC.

This is the first time that Gibraltar has been formally involved in work at this level covering all of BGTW.