September 8, 2017: Behind NAMMCO, Christina Lockyer, Secretariat

The people behind NAMMCO:

Experienced and dedicated researcher of marine mammals, coupled with years of managerial responsibilities in an international organisation –  Christina Lockyer, General Secretary to NAMMCO from 2005 to 2015 came well equipped to the job. 

I am British, and was educated in England at the University of East Anglia and at the University of London, and got my doctorate in 1989 for studies mainly on the bioenergetics of large whales. In fact, my first job as a student at the Whale Research Unit at the British Museum in 1967, was cutting sperm whale teeth for age estimation, and that is how I got into the marine mammal field. Despite travelling and working overseas a lot throughout my life, I never expected to end up living much of my life in Nordic lands nor to become resident in Norway.  However, I stepped into office as General Secretary of NAMMCO on 1st March 2005 and continued for a full 10 years. I learned that NAMMCO is a unique agreement in its direct representation of the interests of Greenland and the Faroes in subsistence and traditional hunting, and covers both large and small cetaceans and all pinnipeds – unlike any other agreement.

I had spent most of 35 years in marine mammal research when I joined NAMMCO, but I was familiar with preparing scientific advice for international conservation and management agreements and conventions. I had been giving scientific advice to the IWC, ASCOBANS, ICES, the EC, and NAMMCO. I became Executive Secretary of ASCOBANS between 1992-1996 and worked tirelessly to get working relations between ASCOBANS and NAMMCO on matters of mutual interest.  I hope that NAMMCO will continue to provide the best advice, based on science and experience, to stakeholders, regarding the sustainable management of and humane and efficient hunting of marine mammals in the North Atlantic. The Agreement is now well recognized and respected, and considered an authority in this field.

Since retiring from NAMMCO on 1st March 2015, I have focused on consultancy work through my company Age Dynamics. In addition, I have a passion for teaching Yoga and Pilates, an interest I have had for more than 25 years.