The World’s First Conference on Marine Protected Areas for Marine Mammals

 

 

The conservation of whales and dolphins has taken a step forward with the launch of the first conference on protected areas for marine mammals.

Over 150 marine experts from 30 countries around the world will gather in Maui, Hawaii, this week to begin plans to protect areas for vulnerable marine species.  

The world ocean occupies three times the surface area of the land and contains the vast majority of Earth’s wildlife habitats, yet the sea has far less protection than land. Compared to 12% of the land in protected areas and parks, only 0.65% of the sea surface has some form of even modest protection – and only 0.08%  of that area is highly protected.

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) is now calling for 12 large Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and MPA Networks, to be set aside by 2012 for the conservation of whales and dolphins and the habitats important to their survival.

The conference, which attracts marine area managers and designers, cetacean researchers, conservation groups and others from more than 30 countries, will include speakers, 7 workshops and 10 training sessions.  The conference is scheduled to take place from today, March 30, to April 3 in Maui, Hawaii. It is hosted by NOAA (US National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration), the US National Marine Fisheries Service Office of International Affairs, and the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

For more information on the conference, visit ICMMPA.org.