Information Density: NAMMCO (North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission) – Signal Evidence & AI Readability

[H2] Follow the MINTAGged whales!

© AUDUN RIKARDSEN
NAMMCO
Four peoples depending on the sea
and conserving it
[IMG: Faroe Islands flag]

[IMG: Greenlandic flag]

[IMG: Icelandic flag]

[IMG: Norwegian flag]

[H2] NAMMCO Celebrates 30 Years!
[H5] 1992-2022

© FERNANDO UGARTE
Marine Mammals are Resources
Marine mammal hunting dates back at least 9 000 years. In many areas, the hunting still provides food and materials, and upholds links to the past
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© GEORGE MCCALLUM
What we do
NAMMCO advises governments on the conservation status, sustainable removals, and responsible hunting methods of marine mammals
How we work
NAMMCO looks at the marine ecosystem and provides advice based on best science, local knowledge, and technological developments
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© KATHRINE RYENG
Why our Work is Important
Assessing the impacts of human activities and hunting methodsare crucial for ensuring the sustainability of populations and optimising animal welfare in the hunts
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© ANDREW WEITH
Marine Mammals in the North Atlantic
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toothed whale species baleen whale species
pinniped species
The NAMMCO management area is home to:
10 6
7

7 of 7
Hunted seal species in the NAMMCO area
12 of 16+
Hunted cetacean species in the NAMMCO area
114 of 195
Countries consuming marine mammals*
54 of 195
Countries where marine mammal consumption provides economic benefits*

[H6] *Robards, M.D. & Reeves, R.R. (2011). The global extent and character of marine mammal consumption by humans: 1970-2009. Biological Conservation 144, pp. 2770-2786

[IMG: Slide]
© Kathrine Ryeng
NAMMCO supports
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[H2] Meeting reports and documents
Here you will find the NAMMCO archive containing all meeting documents and reports related to the Council and its subsidiary bodies.

[H4] Council

[H3] Council meeting reports
[H3] Council meeting documents

[H4] Management Committees

[H3] Management Committees reports
[H3] Management Committees meeting documents

[H4] Committee on Hunting Methods

[H3] Committee on Hunting Methods reports
[H3] Committee on Hunting Methods meeting documents

[H4] Workshops & Expert Groups on Hunting Methods

[H3] Workshops & Expert group meeting reports
[H3] Expert Group meeting documents
[H3] Workshops documents

[H4] Committee on Inspection and Observation

[H3] Committee on Inspection and Observation reports
[H3] Committee on Inspection and Observation meetings

[H4] Scientific Committee

[H3] Scientific Committee reports
[H3] Scientific Committee meetings

[H4] Scientific Committee Working Groups, Workshops & Symposia

[H3] Reports by year or theme
[H3] Meeting documents

[H4] Council Working Group on By-catch, Entanglements and Live Strandings (BYCELS)

[H3] BYCELS reports
[H3] BYCELS meetings

[H4] Working Group on Enhancing User Involvement (UIWG)

[H3] UIWG REPORTS
[H3] UIWG MEETINGS

[H4] Finance and Administration Committee - password protected

[H3] Committee meetings

About NAMMCO

NAMMCO is an international regional body for cooperation on conservation, management and study of cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) and pinnipeds (seals and walruses) 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.

[IMG: Faroe Islands flag]

[IMG: Greenlandic flag]

[IMG: Icelandic flag]

[IMG: Norwegian flag]

Through regional cooperation, the NAMMCO member countries aim to strengthen and further develop effective conservation and management measures for marine mammals. Acknowledging the rights and needs of coastal communities to make a sustainable living from what the sea can provide, such measures should be based on the best available scientific evidence and user knowledge. Additionally, the measures should take into account the complexity and vulnerability of the marine ecosystem.
The NAMMCO Agreement focuses on consolidating and advancing scientific knowledge on marine mammals to better understanding their roles and interactions in the North Atlantic marine ecosystem. In 2017 NAMMCO member countries reaffirmed their cooperation through the Nuuk Declaration.

27th Council Meeting, Faroe Islands, 2019

[H2] How we work
The Commission works through the Council and subsidiary bodies, all of which adhere to the principle of consensus. Each member country has a representative in all committees of the Commission. Committees may appoint working groups or expert groups to investigate specific issues. An overview of current office bearers can be found here.
NAMMCO uses both a top-down and bottom-up management approach. The Commission and its committees usually initiate their work in response to requests for advice or information from member Countries. The Council then endorses these requests and forwards them to the relevant committee(s). Furthermore, NAMMCO scientists and experts who advise the organization may become aware of conservation issues that NAMMCO has not yet addressed or advances in relevant technologies. Proposals concerning future work can be forwarded to the Council, which in response, may charge the relevant committee to consider the issue, so further action can be implemented if necessary.

CouncilFinance and
Administration CommitteeManagement Committees:
- Seals & Walrus
- CetaceansExpert GroupsObservation SchemeWorking GroupsWorking Group on
Enhancing User
InvolvementCommittee onInspection &ObservationWorking Groupon By-Catch,Entanglement &Live StrandingsSecretariatCommittee onHuntingMethodsScientificCommittee

[H4] Scientific Collaborations

[IMG: Logo of Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF)]

[IMG: Logo of Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP)]

[IMG: Logo of Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME)]

[IMG: Logo of International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)]

[IMG: Logo of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI)]

[IMG: Logo of Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO)]

Canada Greenland Joint Commission for Narwhal and Beluga

[IMG: Logo of International Whaling Commission (IWC)]

[H4] Observer Countries

[IMG: Canadian flag]

[IMG: Danish flag]

[IMG: Japanese flag]

[IMG: Flag of St. Lucia]

[IMG: flag_of_saint_vincent_and_the_grenadines]

[IMG: Flag of USA]

[H4] Other Observers

[IMG: Logo of Government of Nunavut]

[IMG: Logo of Makivik Corporation]

[IMG: Logo of North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC)]

[IMG: Logo of Arctic Council]

[IMG: Logo of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)]

[IMG: Logo of Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas (ASCOBANS)]

[IMG: Logo of the OSPAR Commission]

Association of Traditional Marine Mammal Hunters of Chukotka (ATMMHC)

[IMG: Logo of European Bureau for Conservation and Development (EBCD)]

[IMG: Logo of World Conservation Trust]

[IMG: Logo of Inuit Circumpolar Council]

[IMG: Logo of International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA)]

[IMG: Logo of North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO)]

[IMG: Logo of Livelihood International (LIVIN)]

[IMG: Logo of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)]

[IMG: Logo of The Inuvialuit Game Council]

[IMG: Logo of the Canadian Seals and Sealing Network]

Council
© Leif Nøttestad

The Council is responsible for supervising and coordinating the organisational, administrative, financial and other affairs of the Commission, as well as its external relations.
Rules of Procedure govern its functions. The Council meets annually and reviews and acts upon advice requested from its subsidiary bodies. The reports from the meetings can be found here and also in the Annual Reports.
It is composed of government representatives from the member countries. Each member country appoints a Councillor as its main representative that is assissted by experts and advisers.
The Chair and Vice-Chair are elected for two years and are eligible for re-election, but cannot serve for more than four successive years. They shall not represent the same Contracting Party.
In 2025 – 2027, the Faroe Islands holds the Chair of Council and Greenland the Vice-Chair.
[H3] Current Councillors:

[IMG: Council Member from Faroe Islands]
Páll Nolsøe (FO), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Industry and Trade

[IMG: Council Member from Greenland]
Amalie Jessen (GL), Ministry of Fisheries and Hunting

[IMG: Icelandic flag]
Hjalti Jón Guðmundsson (IS), Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries

[IMG: Norwegian flag]
Petter Meier (NO), Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries