Marine mammals are wild resources. The responsible management of the human activities affecting them implies that, among others, the most evident and direct human impact, hunting, is conducting responsibly and that catches are sustainable. This requires the regular assessment of the status of the stocks and their precautionary management. It also requires that and that the best possible hunting methods are used. NAMMCO and its member countries are at the forefront of improving the safety of the hunter, the efficiency of the hunt, and animal welfare.

Responsible management also entails developing and enforcing rules describing how to utilise the resource, and creating reliable mechanisms for observing and monitoring what actually takes place.

An informed and realistic image of how the hunting of marine mammals is carried out can only be conveyed through transparency and openness, which is a prerequisite in NAMMCO. NAMMCO’s documents, processes in generating advice, and reports are archived and accessible to the general public through this website. NAMMCO also shares its knowledge and findings both with the scientific community and the general public.