CCAHD Webinar: Bycatch Risk Assessment and Mitigation: Addressing the Greatest Threat to Atlantic Humpback Dolphins
On June 13, 2025, the Consortium for the Conservation of the Atlantic Humpback Dolphin (CCAHD) hosted the third webinar in its 2025 series, focused on “Bycatch risk assessment and mitigation: Addressing the greatest threat to Atlantic humpback dolphins”
Moderated by Joie Didier Sossoukpe, the session brought together over 34 participants from Africa, Europe, and the Americas. It featured contributions from four experts: Cedrick Fogwan, coordinator of the SIREN Reporting App with the African Marine Conservation Organisation (AMCO); Sarah Dolman, Chair of the CCAHD Bycatch Working Group and member of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) bycatch expert panel; Dr. Ellen Hines, Professor at San Francisco State University and lead developer of the ByRA Toolbox; and Dr. Federico Sucunza, coordinator of Projeto Pesca at GEMARS (Brazil) and also a member of the IWC expert panel.
The session unfolded in three main segments: first, an overview of why bycatch is the most serious threat to Critically Endangered Atlantic humpback dolphins; second, a presentation of existing strategies led by the CCAHD in collaboration with the IWC Bycatch Mitigation Initiative, including use of the ByRA Toolbox, a risk assessment tool designed to better understand and anticipate threats; and third, field-based experiences and early lessons from implementing bycatch mitigation strategies.
An interactive live poll using Mentimeter allowed participants to share insights and feedback during the session and to collect priority topics for upcoming webinars. The webinar concluded with a dynamic Q&A session, highlighting key concerns such as local fisher involvement and the scalability of mitigation tools.
The CCAHD extends its sincere thanks to the panelists for their valuable contributions and to all attendees for their engagement and questions.
Interactive live poll using Mentimeter: participants proposed solutions to reduce bycatch
A recording of the webinar is available here.
Stay tuned for future CCAHD activities and continue spreading awareness about the urgent need to protect Atlantic humpback dolphins.