NAMMCO is committed to engaging youth and early career professionals in informed and constructive discussions about the sustainable and responsible use of marine mammals, and in building long-term capacity within marine mammal management and conservation. Through targeted communication, education, partnerships, and hands-on opportunities, NAMMCO creates pathways for young people and early career professionals gain insight into how international organisations operate and how scientific advice, management decisions, and cooperation are linked in practice, as well as to contribute, and develop professionally within an intergovernmental context. This continued investment in youth engagement, NAMMCO aims to nurture the next generation of experts and practitioners while ensuring informed, inclusive, and forward-looking marine mammal governance.
Internship Programme
Since 2017, NAMMCO has hosted 14 interns through its internship programme. The programme provides early-career students and graduates with practical experience in an intergovernmental organisation, offering insight into management, decision-making processes, coordination, and administrative work related to marine mammal issues.
Learn more about NAMMCO’s internship here.
Marine Mammal Student Symposium
Since 2019, NAMMCO has hosted an annual student symposium on marine mammals, bringing together students working in the field. Expanded to a global online format in 2020–2021, the symposium now fosters international networking among early‑career researchers. The symposium is organised by NAMMCO’s intern alongside student volunteers from the Norwegian Centre for the Law of the Sea and the Arctic Biology Department at UiT–The Arctic University of Norway.
The symposium offers a supportive platform for students to present research at any stage, receive peer feedback, and engage in interdisciplinary exchange across biology, policy, user perspectives, and Indigenous knowledge.
Learn more about the Marine Mammal Student Symposium here.
GUARDNA, NAMMCO’s educational platform
GUARDNA is designed for young people aged 7–20 and introduces them to marine mammals, their uses, users, and the threats they face in the North Atlantic. Through interactive and engaging activities, the programme encourages critical thinking and classroom discussion. The project has been developed in collaboration with partners in Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, and Norway, and will be made available in seven languages.
Learn more about GUARDNA here.
Dissemination in academic and educational settings
Through its collaboration with UiT – The Arctic University of Norway and DIS – Danish International School, the NAMMCO Secretariat delivers lectures to students. These lectures present whaling and sealing from management, cultural, and sustainability perspectives, and provide an overview of relevant governance frameworks and international procedures. In doing so, they broaden students’ understanding of Arctic and North Atlantic realities and intergovernmental cooperation.
Would you like us to visit your classroom? Get in touch at nammco-sec@nammco.org