North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission
Encyclopedia
The North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO) is an "international body for co-operation on conservation, management and study of marine mammal
s in the North Atlantic."
The body was founded in 1992 by its current members Norway
, Iceland
, Greenland
, and the Faroe Islands
. The organisation came about because the nations were (and continue to be) unhappy with the international management of cetaceans and other marine mammals by the International Whaling Commission
. NAMMCO believes that whaling should be more extensive than that currently allowed under the IWC moratorium which prohibits all (large species) whaling with a few specific exceptions.
Nations opposed to whaling, such as the United Kingdom
, do not recognise NAMMCO's claim to be the right body for management of whale stocks in the North Atlantic, and continue to support the IWC.
, Greenland
on 9 April 1992 by the signatories to Agreement on Cooperation in Research, Conservation and Management of Marine Mammals in the North Atlantic. The Agreement came into force on 7 July 1992 and was itself the product of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in Tromsø
in 1990 between the Norwegian and Icelandic governments and the Greenland and Faroese home rule governments. The purpose of the organisation is set out in Article 2 of the agreement.
The commission has three parts. The council is the decision-making part of the commission, which requests, and acts on, advice from its management committees, which make proposals for management of marine mammals stocks within the region, and from the scientific committee which reviews current scientific literature and carries out its own scientific research.
The commission also hosts workshops and forums devoted to hunting methods and environmental questions.
Marine mammal
Marine mammals, which include seals, whales, dolphins, and walruses, form a diverse group of 128 species that rely on the ocean for their existence. They do not represent a distinct biological grouping, but rather are unified by their reliance on the marine environment for feeding. The level of...
s in the North Atlantic."
The body was founded in 1992 by its current members Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, and the Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
. The organisation came about because the nations were (and continue to be) unhappy with the international management of cetaceans and other marine mammals by the International Whaling Commission
International Whaling Commission
The International Whaling Commission is an international body set up by the terms of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling , which was signed in Washington, D.C...
. NAMMCO believes that whaling should be more extensive than that currently allowed under the IWC moratorium which prohibits all (large species) whaling with a few specific exceptions.
Nations opposed to whaling, such as the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, do not recognise NAMMCO's claim to be the right body for management of whale stocks in the North Atlantic, and continue to support the IWC.
History and structure
NAMMCO was founded in NuukNuuk
Nuuk, is the capital of Greenland, the northernmost capital in North America and the largest city in Greenland. Located in the Nuup Kangerlua fjord, the city lies on the eastern shore of the Labrador Sea and on the west coast of Sermersooq. Nuuk is the largest cultural and economic center in...
, Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
on 9 April 1992 by the signatories to Agreement on Cooperation in Research, Conservation and Management of Marine Mammals in the North Atlantic. The Agreement came into force on 7 July 1992 and was itself the product of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in Tromsø
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
in 1990 between the Norwegian and Icelandic governments and the Greenland and Faroese home rule governments. The purpose of the organisation is set out in Article 2 of the agreement.
The commission has three parts. The council is the decision-making part of the commission, which requests, and acts on, advice from its management committees, which make proposals for management of marine mammals stocks within the region, and from the scientific committee which reviews current scientific literature and carries out its own scientific research.
The commission also hosts workshops and forums devoted to hunting methods and environmental questions.