5th Meeting of the Parties to ACCOBAMS Concluded

The Fifth Meeting of the Parties to the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the Contiguous Atlantic Area (ACCOBAMS) was held in Tangier, Morocco at the Mövenpick Hotel & Casino, from 5 to 8 November 2013.

Representatives of the following States Party to the Agreement took part in the Meeting: Albania, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Georgia, Greece, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Morocco, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia and Ukraine.

The following inter-governmental organizations were represented: the International Whaling Commission (IWC), the Mediterranean Science Commission (CIESM), the Black Sea Commission, the Convention on the conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP / CMS), the Agreement on the Conservation of small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (UNEP / CMS / ASCOBANS), the Barcelona Convention (UNEP / MAP), the Regional Activity Centre for Specially Protected Areas (UNEP-MAP RAC / SPA) and the Pelagos Sanctuary.

The following Partners were represented: European Cetacean Society (ECS), Israel Marine Mammal Research and Assistance Center (IMMRAC), OceanCare, Tethys Research Institute, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN-Med) and Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC).

Other inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations and institutions were represented: Association de Gestion Intégrée des Ressources (AGIR), Chambre des Pêches Maritimes de la Méditerranée, Groupement d’Intérêt Scientifique pour les Mammifères Marins de Méditerranée et leur environnement (GIS3M), Humane Society International (HSI), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), International Association of Oil & Gas producers (OGP) and SINAY.