Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area
The Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic Area, or ACCOBAMS, is a regional international treaty that binds its States Parties on the conservation of Cetacea in their territories. The Agreement aims is to reduce threats to Cetaceans in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, as well as in the contiguous Atlantic area west of the Straits of Gibraltar.
Bodies of the agreement
Meeting of the Parties
The Meeting of the Parties is the main decision-making body of the Agreement. It meets triennially to review progress made towards the implementation of the Agreement, as well as any challenges this implantation faces. The MOP also adopts the budget for the Agreements and reviews scientific assessments on the conservation status of cetaceans of the Agreement area. Finally, at the MOP, member states also lay out the priorities for the next triennium. Member states of the Agreement are automatically entitled to representation at the MOP and each have one vote. Additionally, organisations qualified in the conservation of cetaceans may also be represented by observers in the MOP.
Bureau
The Bureau is the working body of the agreement and acts as the decision-making body for the agreement in-between the MOP, and carries out interim activities on it behalf. It also provides guidance to the Secretariat concerning the implementation and promotion of the Agreement. The Bureau is composed of a Chair and Vice-Chairs, all elected by the MOP. Additionally, the Chair of the Scientific Committee is invited to participate as an observer. The Bureau meets at least once a year.
Secretariat
The Secretariat is the executive body of the Agreement. It coordinates and organises the activities of the MOP, the Bureau and the Scientific Committee in order to ensure they can fully perform their assigned duties. Additionally, it monitors the budget, works to increase public awareness concerning the Agreement and its objectives, executes decisions addressed to it by the MOP and creates a report to present at each MOP on the work of all bodies of the Agreement.
Scientific Committee
The Scientific Committee acts as an advisory body to the MOP. Its main duties include:
Providing advice to the MOP on scientific and technical matters
Conducting scientific assessments of the conservation status of cetacean populations in the Agreement Area
Advising on the development and co‐ordination of international research and monitoring programmes
Preparing for each session of the MOP a report of its activities
The Scientific Committee is composed of "persons qualified as experts in cetacean conservation science" and meets at the request of the MOP.
Agreement area
According to Article 1 of the Agreement, the geographic scope of this Agreement is as follows:
All the maritime waters of the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, and their gulfs and seas
The internal waters connected to, or interconnecting, these maritime waters
The Atlantic area contiguous to the Mediterranean Sea west of the Straits of Gibraltar
In 2010, at MOP4, Portugal and Spain both submitted proposals to extend the Agreement area to cover parts of their respective exclusive economic zones. The proposal was adopted at the MOP, as Resolution A/4.1, and is currently in effect.
Species
The Agreement covers 28 species of Cetacean that migrate throughout the range of the Agreement. Balaenidae
