Western Gray Whale Conservation Initiative
Business and conservationists join forces for a common goal
Business has joined forces with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to better understand the biology of and threats to Western Gray Whales. The purpose of this broad engagement is to do everything possible to ensure the survival and recovery of this population.
Lessons learned from western gray whale conservation
The Western Gray Whale Conservation Initiative held a Workshop at the World Conservation Congress in Jeju to share its successes and lessons learned and to solicit a broad engagement of the range states, relevant companies and civil society which is needed for the western gray whale population to survive and recover. The Workshop took place on the 9 September 2013. To learn more, read the associated news article.
The Western Gray Whale population is critically endangered. In response to these concerns, IUCN has been working for many years to protect this population from future impacts with a long term view to recovery of the population.
Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel
Since 2004, IUCN has worked with Sakhalin Energy in order to provide advice and recommendations on how the company can minimize risks associated with its operations on Western Gray Whales and their habitat. As one part of this broad initiative, in 2006 IUCN created a panel of independent scientists: the Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel (WGWAP).
Rangewide Conservation Initiative
IUCN is developing a comprehensive conservation management strategy with the goal of addressing the full range of threats within the entire range of the Western Gray Whale population.
Western gray whales are currently critically endangered. The IUCN Saving Western Gray Whales brochure introduces and explains the Western Grey Whale Advisory Panel (WGWAP); a joint partnership between the IUCN and Sakhalin Energy. The brochure details successful conservation efforts to date, and how knowledge acquired through collaboration is communicated and shared. Further scientific findings arising from the joint collaboration and future research necessary to reduce potential impacts on gray whales are discussed.
