Dateline Tangier 6

ACCOBAMS Meeting of Parties - Close

So the draft report of the Meeting of Parties (MoP) arrives late in the afternoon and is carefully reviewed paragraph by paragraph..

Eventually it is all agreed and all the resolutions are formally approved and passed, including the two tricky noise-focused ones (albeit it in forms significantly different from the original drafts and the beaked whale resolution lacks the map developed by the scientific committee).

No one offers to host the next Meeting of Parties (although Morocco indicates that we would be welcome to return) and we move finally to the adoption of the report.

Before we close, the new Executive Secretary, Florence, is called to the microphone and she refers to the difficulty in taking over from her predecessor (although she says that she will keep Marie Christine on speed-dial), and that she knows that she will be supported by the 'dream-team' of Secretariat staff.

Then Malta and Portugal hijack the meeting to present 'resolution 6', which is entitled 'The Future that we Want'... and a power point follows showing many somewhat unusual images of delegates. Reference is made to the  the 'noisy groupies', ACCOFUNS and the 'Extinguished Delegates'. There is much laughter and the now infamous map even features among the images.

Marina of Portugal says this has been the best MoP because we have been so well looked after and applause follows.

And so with grateful thanks to Morocco for hosting and with some delegates disappointed about the noise resolutions (see for example this discussed in a blog here), the meeting closes.

ACCOFUNS

Dateline Tangier 5

On Friday the delegates to the ACCOBAMS MoP are treated to a tour whilst the secretariat prepares the minutes of the meeting for the review and this includes the texts of the resolutions which enshrine the formal decisions.

A view of Spain from North Africa

We visit the Grotto of Hercules; take a look across the Strait at Spain and visit the Kasbar and throughout this trip the sun shines brightly. Here are a few images of this.

A Common Bulbul in the Kasbar

A large tortoise of the Kasbar

One of the wonderful ancient doors in the Kasbar

A small tortoise of the Kasbar

Ancient and modern

Dateline Tangier 4

ACCOBAMS Day 3 part two: Tomato ketchup is discussed.

Just after lunch, one of the two noise resolution arrives but the other (focused on beaked whales) is missing…. Other resolutions are passed expeditiously under the guidance of the acting chair who today is His Excellency Ambassador Patrick van Klaveren of Monaco. There is a little hesitation over the resolution that deals with the composition of the Scientific Committee but after some small (but meaningful) modifications it is passed – subject to the names of committee members being added after the various relevant bodies have established them. In due course this leads to some little huddles of delegates representing different regions.

Eventually, even though the relevant resolution has still not arrived, the distinguished cetologist Giuseppe Notabartolo di Sciara is brought to the microphone to explain the work on Cuvier’s beaked whales done by the ACCOBAMS scientific committee that underpins this resolution. (The background to this is that this species has been shown to be particularly sensitive to loud noise and a number of stranding events have been linked to loud noise sources.) He shows a map where sensitive areas for this species of beaked whale have been charted through a comprehensive modelling process.

The map in question

[Whilst he is speaking, copies of the relevant resolution finally reach the room…. At least in English.]

The Chair of the late night drafting group explains that the resolutions have been modified from their original texts for various scientific and political reasons.

The Chair of the Meeting then tries to open the discussion but some delegates still do not have the resolution and the French version is not available. Morocco says that he would like to wait for the French version and notes that there have been some strandings of this species on his coast-line that are not shown.

The Tethys Institute explains that the strandings shown on the map are only ‘atypical ones’ featuring more than one species. This will probably explain why the Moroccan strandings have not been shown.

Cyprus noted that the working group discussed the map extensively last night and notes that it is not included in the resolution and urges that we should not reopen this matter.

Croatia finds the map very useful however. It will help those working in nature conservation agencies and she notes that she has new data that can be added to future modelling.

France has comments on the map. He notes that these kinds of maps can be useful and they commend that such work should be carried out but the work done to generate them needs to be well described. France would never accept that such maps would forbid sonar use.  They must be management and planning tools.

NRDC and OceanCare speaking with one voice commend the work of the Scientific Committee on beaked whale protection and recalls that the Scientific Committee was specifically asked to do this work. He understands the problems that parties might have with this but we should remind ourselves there is an urgent need to act and protect the species. He also strongly supports the Spanish government’s move to sponsor the including of this species in the annex of the Convention for Migratory Species.

The OceanCare observer continues: We have an obligation to act to protect this species. [The Chair asks him to slow down.] It’s the passion, he replies! Nature will not wait.

Giuseppe agrees that this [controversial] map was asked for. It was not produced to stop navies or any elements of sovereignty. I see with regret that the map will not be adopted – I understand the mechanisms for this – but I insist that this is high in the recommendations that the scientific committee now reacts to. In the resolution that now speaks to this we are encouraging a workshop for space-based conservation of beaked whales involving all stakeholders. We must act to conserve this species.

Greece noted that he worked in the drafting group and he also recalls the stakeholder collaboration but he is concerned that the previous relevant resolution [resolution 4.17 passed at the last meeting of parties] has not been tested. As soon as it is clear that 4.17 has not worked, then it may be possible to bring further actions.

A few further comments follow and some small editorial changes are made.

Then France comments that there is a joint noise task-force between ACCOBAMS and CMS and urges that this task force needs to be involved more before the meetings.

Finally the generic noise resolution [5.15] is adopted. The French version of the other noise-focused resolution about beaked whales is still not in the room in sufficiency and so we move on to other matters and, by the time a group-photograph and coffee have come and gone, we are back in the room with adequate copies.

France has comments: Cuvier’s beaked whales are important to him and further discussions should continue. He adds some recommended changes including that some definition of protected areas should be added. An NGO suggests some ways of allowing such points to be incorporated and adds that there are many definitions of marine protected area and here this matter has clearly been left open for the interpretation of parties.

The resolution is almost adopted when a debate about whether or not the map of sensitive areas presented by Giuseppe earlier and derived from the work of the Scientific Committee should be included. Some oppose this – others would like to see it included because it would be helpful in terms of explaining what was discussed. This continues for about 30 minutes. In the end the Chair proposes a hyper-link from the minutes to a text where the map can be found… and it is done.

We move on to another resolution…. But no, we come back to the previous one, France says that there are some issues with the French translation which he will pass to the Secretariat…

Father Entrup takes confession.

We move on. A resolution on whale watching arises… an NGO challenges the use of the term whale watching ‘label’ (noting that a label is something that is put on a bottle of tomato sauce). The chair says that if it is a good quality bottle of tomato sauce this is OK, and after some discussion it is agreed that ‘certificate’ may be a better word.

A resolution ‘in homage to ACCOBAMS’s first Executive Secretary follows. After 13 years, the first executive secretary of the Agreement, Madame Marie-Christine Grillo is retiring. She is presented with gifts and a standing ovation.   

The meeting closes but will resume on Friday afternoon to agree the minutes.

The Chair and Executive Secretary

The Executive Secretary tries to hide

A gift is revealed

Saying goodbye.

I have known Marie-Christine, since we first meet in the earliest days of the agreement, at least thirteen years ago and it has been my privilege to have worked with her on many things in support of cetacean conservation in the ACCOBAMS region. , 

She has been the 'backbone of the agreement and it is difficult to think of ACCOBAMS without her. A resolution was passed by the parties that was an accolade to her outstanding contribution and the standing ovation that she received was very well deserved.

Dateline Tangier 3

ACCOBAMS Meeting of Parties: day three.

Alongside other delegates, the bleary-eyed members of the noise working group assemble at 8am at the meeting hotel after a late-night debate over the noise resolutions.

The day opens with another presentation on noise, this time from the Oil and Gas Producers organisation focused on the propagation of noise and then we enter into a discussion on whale-watching with a contribution from the secretary of the Pelagos Sanctuary, Fanny Dubois.

The Humane Society International makes a cautious intervention on whale watching further to presentations on feasibility studies in Tunisia and Morocco. Their representative says:

HSI welcomes the studies and notes that, over the years that ACCOBAMS has worked on whale watching, the scientific evidence from around the world of a negative impact of whale watching has accrued. Hence, in those bodies where the technical development of whale watching is being discussed – such as the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Committee – we increasingly speak of ‘Responsible Whale Watching’, which is what the Whale Watching ‘label’ of ACCOBAMS is also trying to address. In practice, this means the careful balancing of the commercial and educational benefits of whale watching against an approach that ensures that the animals concerned are not negatively impacted. Further advice on how this may be achieved can be obtained from specialist bodies including Whale and Dolphin Conservation and the IWC’s long-standing whale watching subcommittee.

Meanwhile, draft resolutions are piling up on the desks of the delegates and the busy members of the secretariat are working the photo-copier hard.

The drafts cover population studies (and the urgent need to conduct them across the region); the implications of Rio +20 for ACCOBAMS and texts covering the rules of procedure for the various bodies of the agreement (including the heated potato of who sits in the Scientific Committee), the working of the supplementary conservation fund and so on.

As lunch approaches the noise resolutions have not yet managed to enter the meeting room. Will they make it…. ?

Dateline Tangier 2

ACCOBAMS Meeting of Parties: day two.

Many delegates meet early in the morning and are huddled over various texts. The discussion about the scientific committee composition has emerged as of potato of some heat and parties (only) meet to discuss how to resolve this.

Later, Dr Lindy Weilgart of Dalhousie University makes a presentation on the effects of noise on beaked whales to the meeting.  She is rewarded with applause.

Lindy Weilgart

Early in the meeting the Chair asks how the noise resolutions are progressing and is promised texts by tomorrow.

The meeting plows through its documents approving and amending as necessary and, come the afternoon, the Parties and Partners hold their first vote for membership of the ‘follow-up committee’ (a body tasked with advising the parties).

Ballot papers are collected and inspected. Delegates from France, Spain and Tunisia are appointed. For the partner organisations, three organisations dramatically tie for two places and, one of them, OceanCare kindly withdraws its candidature.

This is all unprecedented.

Outside, the palm trees along the seafront move gently in the breeze under a blue sky. They are largely unmoved by the proceedings.

The discussion about who sits in the Scientific Committee continues. Similarly the noise scribes were still working and debating late into the night….

One of Dr Weilgart's slides - a PDF of the full presentation can be seen here on the Ocean Care site.

Giuseppe Notobartolo di Sciara of the Tethys Institute

Sigi Luber and Nicolas Entrup of OceanCare/NRDC

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..

New action on plastic bags at European Level

Readers will know that one of the themes of this blog is marine debris. 

And I here note that Europe has just taken some new action on plastic bags. Specifically: yesterday (November 4th) the European Commission adopted a proposal that requires Member States to reduce their use of lightweight plastic carrier bags. 

The proposal amends the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive and Member States can choose the measures they find most appropriate, including charges, national reduction targets or a ban under certain conditions. 

Lightweight plastic bags are often used only once, but can persist in the environment for hundreds of years, often as harmful microscopic particles that are known to be dangerous to marine life in particular.

More information HERE

Escape from Bardsey Isand

At 7pm the shout went up: Get ready to meet the boat at 7.30 tomorrow morning or be prepared to stay on the island for sometime!

'But', I said, 'surely it is still dark at that time'. I was correct but the boat still came and we saw the dawn come up behind the Tudwal Islands as we crossed Bardsey Sound the treacherous stretch of water that lies between Bardsey and the mainland.

This was a few days earlier than scheduled but given that the last people that missed the last October boat from the island were there until December 15th (and there is a major storm on its way this weekend), it was probably wise.

Here are a few more pictures from my three weeks on the island:

A recently moulted pupo

A kittewake

The little bull pup hauled out on the grass (shown below in part 3) has acquired a friend - another pup which has started to moult.

A new born - just a few hours old.

A magnificent bull seal.

Mother and Pup swimming class - they have playfully wrapped some strands of seaweed around themselves!

Above: some Risso's dolphins pass by.

To learn more about the wildlife of Bardsey Island take a look at the Bardsey Island Bird and Field Observatory blog here.

Barsey Island Seals Part 3

I am back on the island where we have little internet connection - so here is just a quick picture of a pup in the process of moulting to be getting on with. Faced with the strong winds and waves you will see that he has hauled out on the grass at the top of the shore that he was born on. Much of his white fur has now come off - and some lies on the grass next to him. 

The Seals of Bardsey 2

Trying something new here.

Here is a little bit of film showing a mother grey seal and her tubby pup in the water.

Click here to view XXXX

The Seal Pups of Bardsey Island 1

Bardsey Island

There is an island off the north coast of Wales and at this time of year (Autumn) grey seals haul out there to give birth to and suckle their pups, which are born with coats of purest white. Here are just a few images.

A pup that has recently moulted - shedding its white fur

Here a younger pup suckling

And another that is starting to moult. 

Or are they dolphins?

It is a warm September evening. The sun is setting behind the Houses of Parliament in London and along the riverside walk that runs from Vauxhall, the old street lamps are all adorned with some odd 'fish'; unless they are actually dolphins. 

They have scales and tails and fins and spiral up the lamp-posts. They also have nostrils and beaks and I think they are a Victorian representation of heraldic dolphins. The sculptures are dated, so I am confident in them being Victorian and, by this date (1870) books contained reasonably good representations of dolphins, so if the lamp makers had wanted to represent real dolphins they could have.

So, why are they here - what is their link to the British capital city and the river? Anyone know? I am confident there were once bottlenose dolphins in the Thames estuary but I suspect there is something more than that to these distinctive street adornments.