First in person CCAHD meeting and Street Whale festival 2024

First in person CCAHD meeting and Street Whale festival 2024

From December 2-7th, 2024 CCAHD partners from 13 Atlantic humpback dolphin range countries gathered in Kribi, Cameroon. The first in person meeting of the CCAHD partners aimed at strengthening collaboration among partners, building capacities and developing strategies to promote the conservation of the Atlantic humpback dolphins. The CCAHD meeting was held in parallel to the Fourth edition of ‘Street Whale’, an annual event organized by CCAHD partners, the African Marine Mammal Conservation Organization AMMCO (AMMCO) in Cameroon. The street whale event combines science, sport and culture to raise awareness of marine and coastal conservation among a broad range of stakeholders, and collaboratively develop strategies for a better management of marine resources in Cameroon and the region.

The first in-person meeting of CCAHD range country partners was made possible through funding from the Dolphin Quest Foundation and The International Whaling Commission (IWC).

The meeting began on the 2nd and 3rd of December with a two-day theoretical and practical capacity-building workshop for CCAHD members only,  led by two experts, Prof. Ellen Hines, and her colleague Dr. Sarah Farinelli. Dolphins and other cetaceans, and particularly Atlantic humpback dolphins, face a significant threat from fisheries bycatch. It is therefore essential to assess the risks of bycatch to better guide conservation and awareness efforts. Theoretical demonstrations allowed participants to learn how to use mapping (GIS) software (QGIS, ArcGIS, etc.) combined with the InVEST software to assess the risks of bycatch of marine species. After the first day of presentations on the use of ByRA  and participants’ own data and expectations for the application of the tool, participants were divided into groups. Each group conducted their own hands-on assessment under the guidance of Dr. Ellen Hines and Dr. Sarah Farinelli. At the end of the sessions, each group presented the results of their assessment in plenary, much to the satisfaction of the other participants and trainers. They are now equipped to evaluate the bycatch risks for the Atlantic humpback dolphin in particular and other threatened marine species in general.

Following the ByRA training workshop, the CCAHD participants engaged fully in the main  Street Whale regional event that brought together policymakers, marine conservation stakeholders, researchers, fishers, and others from 4th to 7th December 2024. In the mornings, everyone attended the Streetwhale plenary sessions which included presentations on wide-ranging topics related to marine and coastal conservation, and a mixture of expert presentations and panel discussions.  In the afternoons, CCAHD-specific sessions were led by experts on the following topics: stranding response and data collection by Dr. Andrew Brownlow and Emma Neave Webb of the IWC’s Stranding Initiative; support for boat-based cetacean survey methodology by Dr. Gianna Minton; conservation communication by Yandeh Sallah-Muhammed; and tips for successful grant writing for conservation by Prof. Ellen Hines and Dr. Sarah Farinelli.

CCAHD partners and representatives of local Cameroonian and regional fisheries were also treated to demonstrations of low-cost, low-tech methods to reduce cetacean bycatch in gillnet fisheries using empty plastic drinks bottles. This technique was demonstrated by Dr. Federico Sucunza and fisherman Nene, who travelled all the way from Brazil to share their experience, courtesy of the Nuremberg Zoo, who have been long-term supporters of the CCAHD and also sponsor dolphin conservation work on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. In the evenings there was time to enjoy the social, cultural, sports and (performing) arts events that were an integral part of the Streetwhale event, and provided CCAHD partners an opportunity to socialise and bond in less formal settings.

In a final wrap-up meeting, CCAHD members discussed the future of the consortium, analyzing what CCAHD has done well and what could be improved. There was an emphasis on how the CCAHD can more effectively involve its partners and create more capacity building/sharing opportunities. Many participants volunteered their time to help advance CCAHD goals and objectives, and expressed their deep appreciation for the practical resources, support and sense of community and friendship that has developed through the CCAHD.  The meeting also provided a wonderful opportunity for CCAHD participants to receive multiple copies of printed resources like the Keita and the Dolphins Children’s book, waterproof regional marine mammal identification guides and protocols and kits for data and sample collection from strandings.  The CCAHD thanks our various donors, including the Mohammed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, the Nuremberg Zoo, Georgia Aquarium, the National Marine Mammal Foundation, the US Marine Mammal Commission, and Ocean Alliance for making it possible to print and distribute these materials.