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Story | 14 Dec, 2018

IUCN seeks whale conservation experts to advise on energy development impacts

IUCN seeks applications from qualified individuals to serve on its independent scientific and technical advisory panel to minimize impacts on western gray whales during offshore oil and gas development near Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East. The application deadline is 20 January 2018.

Up to 8 individuals with expertise on baleen whales (preferably gray whales) will be appointed to serve on the IUCN's Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel (WGWAP) from 1 March 2019 to 31 December 2021.

Specifically, IUCN is looking for:

  • 2 experts in bio-acoustics (including modelling);
  • 2 experts in population assessment, statistics and modelling (including cumulative impact assessment and quantitative risk assessment);
  • 2 experts in new and emerging technologies that are already or potentially applicable to gray whale research (including photo-id, monitoring of distribution, movement and behaviour via passive acoustics, UAVs, camera systems, tagging, etc.);
  • 1 expert in responses of baleen whales to disturbance from various kinds of stressors such as chronic and acute underwater noise;
  • 1 expert in whale feeding ecology (preferably including gray whales).

For the last 14 years, the WGWAP has been managed by IUCN as an independent scientific advisory body. The overall goal of the WGWAP is to provide objective advice on the conservation of western gray whales with a focus on those that feed off Sakhalin Island, just north of Japan.

The core principles for such IUCN panels are independence, transparency, accountability and engagement. 

Full details on qualifications for the open positions and the application form are available on the IUCN HRMS portal

For more information, please contact Ms Anete Berzina-Rodrigo at IUCN.