ASCOBANS

🌍 Today is World Wildlife Day! A good moment to spotlight the wildlife ASCOBANS exists to protect: ASCOBANS focuses on conservation of small cetaceans, including harbour porpoises and dolphins, across its Agreement area.

🐬Protecting these species requires not only national efforts, but also transboundary cooperation including preventing harm and mitigating impacts. World Wildlife Day is a reminder that this work is ongoing and that progress depends on consistency of our actions.

Check out our activities via www.ascobans.org !

🇺🇳 United Nations World Wildlife Day (WWD) is celebrated every year on 3 March to recognize the unique roles and contributions of wildlife to people and the planet.

Convention on Migratory Species |

📷 : Orcas © Rob Lott

↗️ Offshore renewable energy development is accelerating ↗️

Today, on the International Day of Clean Energy, it feels especially timely to talk about what it means offshore, where climate action meets marine life. 🌊

At ASCOBANS MOP10 (2024), Parties adopted two Resolutions focused on this exact intersection: Resolution 6.2 (Rev.MOP10) on the 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘌𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘕𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘋𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘖𝘧𝘧𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘙𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘌𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 and Resolution 8.6 (Rev.MOP10) on 𝘖𝘤𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘌𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺. These Resolutions, among other ASCOBANS contributions, speak to managing impacts on cetaceans so that climate action and marine protection can move forward together.

🐳 For cetaceans, the construction phase is particularly detrimental. Pile driving and increased vessel traffic can add intense and chronic noise conditions that whales and dolphins rely on for communication, navigation, foraging, and other everyday activities.

The goal is to build policies and practices that cut emissions while also reducing risk to marine life through intentional planning, mitigation, and cooperation across all industries involved.

➡️ Resolution 6.2 (Rev.MOP10): https://www.ascobans.org/document/adverse-effects-underwater-noise-marine-mammals-during-offshore-construction-activities-0
➡️ Resolution 8.6 (Rev.MOP10): https://www.ascobans.org/document/ocean-energy-1

Read more about the International Day of Clean Energy: ➡️ https://www.un.org/en/observances/clean-energy-day

Convention on Migratory Species

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📷: © Canva