THREE REGIONAL WORKSHOPS FOR MARINE MAMMAL STRANDING RESPONSE IN THE DUTCH, FRENCH AND SPANISH-SPEAKING CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES

Three regional Marine Mammal Stranding Response Workshops were organized according to the priorities defined in the 2008-2009 “Workplan and Budget for the SPAW Regional Programme” (2.4) concerning the preservation of threatened and endangered species, and the Action Plan for the Conservation of Marine Mammals in the Wider Caribbean Region’s General Timetable for Implementation (2.12 (2.7.2). These three workshops follow upon the first one organized by the Eastern Caribbean Cetacean Network (ECCN) in 2005 for the Eastern Caribbean region. This report is a brief summary of the three marine mammal stranding workshops whose objective is to focus on the recommendations resulting from the workshops. A complete and detailed report of each workshop is available on the SPAW-RAC website:
http://www.car-spaw-rac.org/

1. The Regional Workshop for the Dutch Caribbean Territories in response to Marine Mammal Strandings from 5-7 November 2009 was held in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles.
Twenty-one participants representing Protected Area management organizations, government departments, and non-governmental organizations from six Dutch Caribbean islands attended including Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten, and Saba. Trainers and presenters included Charles Potter (Smithsonian Institute’s Marine Mammal Laboratory), Dr. John Reynolds (Mote Marine Laboratory), Dr. Janet Whaley (NOAA Fisheries), Dr. Nathalie Ward (Eastern Caribbean Cetacean Network/U.S. Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Program); Ms. Andrea Bogomolni (Eastern Caribbean Cetacean Network/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), and Helene Souan (SPAW Regional Activity Centre, Guadeloupe.) Paul Hoetjes was the Southern Caribbean Cetacean Network (SCCN) Coordinator in Curacao and Dr. Nathalie Ward (ECCN) served as coordinator for workshop training preparations. The US Marine Mammal Commission, Dutch Caribbean Nature Alliance (DCNA), the Netherlands Antilles’ government, and the Curaçao Sea Aquarium/Dolphin Academy provided funding for the workshop.

Photos available here: https://www.smugmug.com/app/organize/SPAW-Workshop-2012