MMAG REPORTS FROM THE 36TH EUROPEAN CETACEAN SOCIETY CONFERENCE IN AZORES

23 May 2025 – Last week, members of the Marine Mammal Advisory Group (MMAG) cohort, including representatives from Merconcept, The Ocean Race, and member scientists such as Rui Prieto from Okeanos Institute of Marine Sciences, gathered in the Azores to attend the 36th European Cetacean Society (ECS) Conference. Here, our cohort gained valuable insights from the maritime and marine science community to understand risk, develop better mitigation strategies, and bring learnings back to the sailing sector.

Damian Foxall, co-founder of MMAG and sustainability consultancy Foxall Munro, presented MMAG’s strategy for the sailing sector in a workshop on “Approaches to the assessment and mitigation of vessel strike risks from small/medium marine traffic,” which also featured insights from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and Tethys Research Institute.

In this presentation, Foxall shared key findings gained from the Marine Strike Log, which is managed and maintained by MMAG. This database focuses exclusively on strike events in the sailing sector, which previously were underreported in comparison to anecdotal frequency of marine strikes experienced within the global sailing community.

By increasing reporting and developing a strategic approach for the sailing industry at large, MMAG has been able to gather important insights about the issue to develop collaborative risk mitigation solutions. As there is no “zero-risk” approach, MMAG utilizes data to help drive decision making for sailors and race events to reduce risk as much as possible.

Some key takeaways and “Fast Facts” from ECS:

The Approach: There are many different approaches to risk mitigation for marine mammal strikes. Each region and sector has its own strategy. MMAG is leading the sailing sector in data collection as well as collaboration within the global sailing community to create a unified strategic approach.

Keeping Track: Within small vessel strike mitigation, there are a few systems and studies that are being used, MMAG recommends the use of Whale Alert for live reporting

Know your Whales: All species of whales and marine mammals behave differently. Here are some interesting facts shared at the ECS Azores event:

• Sperm whale migrations (e.g., Norway → Azores → Equator) tend to follow incredibly direct routes, with some individuals returning via the exact same GPS paths each year — right across areas we often sail.
• The Pelagos Sanctuary in the Mediterranean is home to a significant whale population, which is essential to its diverse ecosystem. Recent studies estimate these whales store 1,500 – 2,800 tons of carbon in body mass alone (see infographic below)
• At 23°C, sperm whales spend more time at the surface, which increases collision risk in summer sailing areas like the Mediterranean Sea.
• At night, sperm whales linger between 0 and -12 meters, thus, extra caution is needed during overnight sailing.

MMAG’s collaborations and knowledge base has developed an easier way to the approach, keeping track, and knowing your whales – all free services and support MMAG is currently offering to the sailing industry to drive biodiversity solutions. Contact Damian at info@mmag.world to learn more about MMAG’s solutions for your event or organization.

World Ocean Day is June 8, 2025!

This global event catalyzes collective action for a healthy ocean and a stable climate. In honor of this important global day of awareness and celebration, MMAG encourages all members of our cohort to take action.

Here’s how you can take action for World Ocean Day:

1. Share Marine Strike Survey: encourage network to be citizen scientists and record any historical marine strike they’ve experienced in MMAG’s survey.
2. Live Hazard Reporting: Download Whale Alert app to report sightings, hazards and strikes.
3. Create Event Biodiversity Plan: utilize MMAG’s free template resource to develop a detailed biodiversity plan. Contact us to receive free resources and guidance.
4. Communicate: whether you are a sailor or event leader, it is critical to communicate the information that can help reduce and prevent marine mammal strikes. Share alerts, raise awareness about local species, and communicate your biodiversity plans and reporting procedures to your network.

#####  ABOUT THE MARINE MAMMAL ADVISORY GROUP (MMAG) The Marine Mammal Advisory Group (MMAG) is a collaborative network of stakeholders dedicated to the protection of biodiversity, focusing on reducing collisions between marine mammals and sailing or boating vessels. Established in 2022, MMAG works across the marine sector to develop technical solutions, enhance risk assessment, promote live reporting and citizen science, and drive education and outreach efforts.     The organizations key areas of focus are as follows:      – Source & share information     – Risk assessment  – Technical solutions – Live reporting & citizen science   – Education & outreach – Matching solutions with resourcesVisit https://mmag.world/ for more information or contact info@mmag.world    Interested in joining MMAG? Contact info@mmag.world