Dateline Tangier 1

I am presently in north Africa, in Tangier, Morocco, attending the Meeting of the Parties to ACCOBAMS – the agreement for cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) in the Mediterranean, Black Seas and adjacent Atlantic areas.

Key issues here are agreeing ways forward on the key (and tricky) issues of bycatch, marine noise pollution and climate change. There is also a key organisational issue which is the composition and functioning of the ACCOBAMS scientific committee.

You can see more about ACCOBAMS and this meeting of its members here.

Several resolutions will be discussed and hopefully successfully concluded over the next few days.

Meanwhile here are a couple of images of the early morning view from the ancient Kasbah (were some of us are staying)

Dawn

A starling sings from a TV ariel

And some images from the meeting:

The Chair of  the MoP and the Executive Secretary (right) of ACCOBAMS

His Serene Highness, Prince Albere of Monaco opens the meeting.

Heidrun Frisch of ASCOBANS/CMS.

Mrs Wood of WDC surprised by a salad.

His excellency the Ambassador of Monaco to Spain , Patrick van Klaveren, addresses the meeting..