Nature and Scope
8. This strategy should be adopted by all States in which cetaceans are taken incidentally to fishing operations. In cases where incidentally captured cetaceans have economic value, other management strategies will also be needed to ensure sustainable populations.
Implementation
10. States or regional economic integration units (e.g. the European Union), in conjunction with relevant regional and international organizations, should carry out a set of activities to assess the sustainability of cetacean by-catches and, where necessary, reduce their magnitude. The exact configuration of these activities will depend on the magnitude of the incidental mortality of cetaceans in each State’s fisheries (see below the “technical note on developing a national plan of action for assessing and reducing the incidental catch of cetaceans in fisheries”).
11. States with fisheries that experience a cetacean by-catch should adopt a national plan of action to reduce the incidental mortality of cetaceans (see below the “technical note on developing a national plan of action for assessing and reducing the incidental catch of cetaceans in fisheries”). International organizations (such as the FAO, IWC and UNEP), regional organizations (such as CCAMLR, IATTC, ASCOBANS, etc.), academic researchers and NGOs should provide technical assistance to States in this regard.
12. States which determine that a national plan of action on cetacean bycatch is not necessary should review this decision on a regular basis, taking into account changes and expansions in existing fisheries and the development of new fisheries. If a problem is subsequently determined to exist, the State should adopt a national plan of action for reducing cetacean bycatch.
13. Each State should be responsible for the design, implementation and monitoring of a national plan of action on cetacean bycatch.
14. The assessment and mitigation of each cetacean by-catch problem will, in most cases, require a unique solution, appropriate for local circumstances. A variety of mitigation measures are currently available (see below the “technical note on measures for reducing the incidental catch of cetaceans in fisheries”); each state should determine which of these measures are appropriate for its fisheries.
15. States should co-operate, wherever possible, through the FAO, IWC, and other international organizations and agreements, to reduce the incidental mortality of cetaceans worldwide. Such co-operation will be especially important in cases where cetaceans move across the boundaries of Exclusive Economic Zones.
16. Direct involvement of the fishing industry is essential at all stages, from recognising the problem to developing solutions. Fishermen can provide enormous creativity in addressing the problem. Appropriate incentives should be put in place to effectively utilise this creativity.
17. Lack of detailed information on the magnitude of the bycatch or the size and biology of particular cetacean populations should not be used as a reason for a lack of action. Default or generalised models of cetacean population dynamics and relative bycatch rates can and should be used as the basis for initiating action.
