1. ARNE BJØRGE Institute of Marine Research, Norway
Conservation objectives, assessment needs and existing assessment processes in IWC and NAMMCO
ARNE BJØRGE
Institute of Marine Research,
Norway

2. IWC is a global intergovernmental organization with 99 member governments
Commission: biennual meetings;
Conservation Committee;
Scientific Committee with about 180 participants at annual meetings.

3. Two IWC management procedures:
The RMP for regulation of commercial whaling (moratorium)
The ASWMP for regulation of aboriginal subsistance whaling

4. Conservation objective
The RMP long-term conservation objective: exploited stocks stabilize at 72% of K
The ASWMP long-term conservation objective: quotas accroding to the strike-limit request ‘shall not harm the stock’

5. Exploited stocks assessed every six years
Estimated absolute abundance (and trends) based on abundance surveys following protocols approved by the SC

6. In 2016 the Commission decided to establish the IWC Bycatch Mitigation initiative (IWC BMI)
A bycatch mitigation coordinator at the Secretariat
Establish an IWC BMI expert panel

7. NAMMCO is an intergovernmental regional organization for cooperation on conservation, management and study of cetaceans and pinnipeds in the North Atlantic.
The members of NAMMCO — Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland and Norway — are committed to sustainable and responsible use of all living marine resources, including marine mammals.

8. The main purpose of the sustainable use of marine mammals in the NAMMCO Member Countries is meat for human consumption.
Greenlandic boy with dried humpback whale meat. © F. Ugarte

9. To make sure that the utilization of marine mammals is sustainable and responsible NAMMCO has:
Two management committees;
A scientific committee;
Committee on hunting methods;
Committee on inspection and observation;
A number of working groups.

10. BYCELS: wg on welfare issues related to bycatch, entanglement and live strandings
Developed guidelines for euthanasia of live-stranded but moribund cetaceans
Provide advice on welfare issues based on best available science

11. WGBycatch: To review and provide advice on monitoring and estimating bycatch of marine mammals in member countries
WGs on assessment: evaluate population level effects of bycathes
WG on abundance estimation