23 March 2026: Pre-Council Press release of the 33rd Annual Meeting of the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission
Nuuk, Greenland – NAMMCO will hold its 33rd Annual Meeting in Nuuk, Greenland, on 24–26 March 2026,
which will include the meetings of the Management Committees and the Council. The meeting will continue
advancing regional cooperation on the conservation, management, and responsible use of marine mammals
in the North Atlantic in a time of rapid environmental changes.
The (public) opening session of the Council will feature a discussion session on the implications these rapid
environmental changes may have for conservation processes. This will be introduced by a presentation from
Fernando Ugarte, from the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, on the possible effects of climate
change on marine mammals in Greenland and the need for increased monitoring.
The Council will review progress, provide strategic guidance, and consider recommendations from NAMMCO’s
committees. As in previous years, the agenda reflects NAMMCO’s commitment to science-based decision
making, sustainability, and the active involvement of users and coastal communities. The Council will review
the conclusion of the latest assessments of minke, fin, and pilot whales and the sustainability of takes, based
on the abundance results generated by the 2024 North Atlantic Sightings Survey. Progress of the MINTAG project,
launched in 2021 by NAMMCO and Japan, will be presented. MINTAG intends to develop smaller transdermal
satellite tags for species such as fin, minke, and pilot whales, of which the understanding of movements and
population structure is limited, yet essential for sound, sustainable management. Advances on GUARDNA
Guardians of the North Atlantic: Looking after our Seas to Conserve Marine Mammals, the educational portal
developed since 2024 in collaboration with educators from Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland,
and Norway, will be introduced.
In addition to representatives from the NAMMCO member countries, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, and
Norway, the meeting will be attended by observers from Denmark, Japan, Nunavik, Nunavut, and the United
States. The Fishermen and Hunters Association in Greenland (KNAPK), the International Whaling Commission
(IWC), the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC), the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization
(NAFO), and the World Conservation Trust (IWMC) will also be represented.
The agenda, list of participants, and meeting documents for the Council meeting can be found here.
Practical Information
- Dates: 24–26 March 2026
- Location: Hotel Hans Egede, Nuuk, Greenland
- Meeting Documents: Accessible via NAMMCO’s Council Meetings documents portal
The opening session is open to the public:
- Time: 24 March 2026, 9:00 to 12:00 GWT, registration 8:30 to 8:50.
- Venue: Hotel Hans Egede, Room 12, Aqqusinersuaq No. 3, Nuuk.
- To join the opening session online, click here.
Photo credit: Oliver Schauf