Bonn Convention - The Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black and Mediterranean Seas

The Mediterranean and Black Seas hold a diverse range of cetacean species. As with other cetaceans worldwide, the whales, dolphins, and porpoises of this area move between their breeding, feeding and over-wintering ranges, or follow their prey over long distances. En route they encounter a variety of man-made threats, including accidental entanglement in fishing gear (bycatch), marine pollution, acoustic disturbance, hunting, whale-watching and competition with fisheries. The scientific community has been aware for several decades of the importance of the cetacean biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea. Since migrating cetaceans regularly cross national boundaries, their effective protection requires international cooperation.

 

The Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black and Mediterranean Seas (ACCOBAMS) was concluded in Monaco in 1996 and entered into force in 2001. ACCOBAMS is the first agreement of its kind to bind the countries of the two seas to work together on a problem of common concern. The Agreement requires members to implement a comprehensive Conservation Plan, based first on respect of legislation banning the deliberate capture of cetaceans in fishing zones by their flag vessels or those subject to their jurisdiction, on measures for minimizing incidental capture and, finally, on the creation of protected zones, important for the feeding, breeding and rearing of cetaceans. Governments also undertake to assess and manage human-cetacean interactions, conduct research and monitoring; develop programmes to inform, train and educate the public, and set up emergency response measures. Membership is open to all littoral states and to non-coastal States of the Agreement area ('third countries') whose vessels are engaged in activities which may affect cetaceans.

 

The UK has contributed funding on a voluntary basis to the Agreement and is currently considering, with relevant Overseas Territories, whether to accede to the Agreement.

 

JNCC has provided advice to the Government (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Foreign Office) on the Agreement's conservation objectives, and staff joined the UK delegation at the first Meeting of Parties to ACCOBAMS held in Monaco in 2002.