Excited to share latest taxonomy updates from the Society for Marine Mammalogy: changes in classification of some dolphin species including creation of a new genus & division of Franciscana dolphin (focus on an IWC #CMP) into 2 subspecies. Read more at

IWC is @ Common Oceans ABNJ Tuna Project Steering Cttee meeting @FAO, Rome. IWC's project assesses cetacean #bycatch & raises capacity building in the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. The meeting is discussing the last year's updates to make tuna fisheries more sustainable.

The workshop closes with the CMP for #franciscana. Initiated in 2016 it's now preparing for a Comprehensive Assessment by the IWC Scientific Committee. These assessments provide the IWC with status info & identify issues that may impact future status.

Workshop moves to Lahille's  dolphin. Initially the focus of a rapid response Task Team, a CMP followed in 2024. Just 600 individuals remain & the greatest threat is #bycatch in artisanal fisheries so work with fishing communities is the highest priority.

This week's CMP workshop moves onto the Guiana dolphin which is found across 9 countries, creating the transboundary issues that CMPs are designed to address. Engagement & commitment are vital to success in multi-jurisdictional efforts like this one.

The July issue of the IWC News Bulletin includes reports from all over the world on the latest training in #strandings and #entanglement response, #bycatch, Conservation Management Plans, upcoming meeting info and lots more. Read it here

The CMP workshop moves on to South American River Dolphins. 300+ died in a climate change-driven rise in river temps in 2023. Measures to rescue & monitor them are now part of this CMP which poses unusual challenges & requires the collective wisdom of IWC & range states.

Now underway: workshop on all IWC's South American Conservation Management Plans. Began with SW Atlantic & SE Pacific right whales. Coordinators able to share experiences, challenges & solutions for first time. Big benefits of bringing together CMP coordinators are already clear!

Congratulations to all involved in another successful entanglement response workshop. Held in Piura, Peru it provided 60 participants with the skills to respond safely and effectively to whales entangled in fishing gear. Read more: #cetaceanconservation

The latest news from the IWC Scientific Committee. Read more at

With IWC Commissioner Vasiliades from Cyprus at #UNOC3, discussing various aspects of the IWC work programme and planning for #IWC70 in the context of the EU Presidency

Pleased to join @BonnConvention @UNBiodiversity @CITES & other key partners at #UNOC3 to discuss marine animal species for healthy ecosystems & long-term sustainability, inc. evolving threats to cetaceans & effective, science-based conservation & management responses

Whale watching on the agenda for a meeting at #UNOC3 with colleagues from the Dominican Republic including Commissioner Reyes. The Dominican Republic is an active participant in the IWC Whale Watching Handbook, working to achieve sustainable whale watching

Pleased to participate in #UNOC3 General Debate: setting out IWC's contributions inc. data & assessments, capacity building (bycatch & entanglement, strandings, whale watching), species-specific conservation & more. With 26% of cetacean species under threat we need urgent action

Great to meet with IWC Commissioner Lesz of Poland during #UNOC3. A wide-ranging discussion included Poland's EU Presidency, the global issue of cetacean entanglement & IWC's training programmes for both entanglement & strandings response, plus preparations for #IWC70 in 2026

Much to discuss with Peruvian colleagues, Ambassador Orozco and IWC Commissioner Reinoso at #UNOC3 including recent entanglement response training, a key pilot project for the #BycatchMitigationInitiative & prep for #IWC70-& of course huge thanks for successful hosting of IWC69!

Pleased to set the scene at Bridging the Waters from #UNOC3 to @UNWater Conference 2026. The links between #freshwater ecosystems & oceans are critical for sustainable water mgt & healthy #oceans, inc how to deal with pollution impacts such as chemicals & plastics on cetaceans

Pleased to set the scene at Bridging the Waters from #UNOC3 to @UNWater Conference 2026. The links between #freshwater ecosystems & oceans are critical for sustainable water mgt & healthy #oceans, inc how to deal with pollution impacts such as chemicals & plastics on cetaceans

Some RFBs are showing how to address the biggest single threat to cetaceans: bycatch which kills 300,000 animals each year. IWC shared work preventing & mitigating bycatch & building capacity to address entanglement in fishing nets, partnering with RFBs & other partners

Addressing links between fisheries & biodiversity is critical for conservation of vulnerable marine species & ecosystems & for sustainable fisheries. The SOI Dialogue  with regional fishery bodies (RFB) provided an opportunity to share useful experiences.