Dear Marmamers, Please find below the revised itinerary for the WCA World Whale Conference, taking place in Horta, Faial, Azores, Portugal, on 26-27 October 2015. Deadline for short presentations (see details below) is 16 October. For those interested in attending the adjoining Whale Heritage Sites Summit please note that there are only 40 places left for this free event. To register for the Conference or Summit follow this link: http://worldcetaceanalliance.org/registration-conference-summit/ *World Whale Conference**26-27 October 2015**Teatro Faialense, Horta, Azores, Portugal* *THEME: People and Cetaceans: a cultural perspective* *Sunday 25 October: * *Excursion and film night* *Excursion* Tour of the beautiful island of Faial including optional whale watching trip (weather permitting) *Evening* Film night: From whaling to whale watching Exclusive showing of the new film about Icelandic whaling called ‘Breach’, followed by a Q&A with Director Jonny Zwick (TBC) Short films about Azores whaling and whale watching with Q&A to follow *World Whale Conference Day 1* *Monday 26 October: * Global programmes to protect cetaceans: 2016 - 2017 8:30 – 9:00 Coffee 9:00 – 9:30 Welcome *WCA Chair Roy Mulder, WCA Secretariat Dylan Walker, Rosa Costa of Futurismo Whale Watching and the Azores Promotion Board open the 2015 World Whale Conference* 9:30 – 15:00 *SYMPOSIUM BY THE WCA CAPTIVITY WORKING GROUP: Building an effective global network* *9:30 – 10:30. Short presentations* Cetacean captivity – a global overview of the last 12 months. *Daniel Turner, Chair, Captivity Working Group, Born Free Foundation* Regional overviews from Europe, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and Oceania *Call for Short Presentations (5 minutes plus questions) from Partners, invited speakers and Azorean attendees. Contact lauren@worldcetaceanalliance.org <lauren@worldcetaceanalliance.org>** to request to give a presentation* 10:30 – 11:00. Break 11:00 – 12:00. Workshop: Developing a global communications network on captivity and building a global data resource on captive facilities 12:00 – 12:30. Presentation and discussion: Creating an online ‘Help Kit’ for anybody campaigning to stop cetacean captivity 12:30 – 13:00. Presentation and discussion: The wild alternative: how to encourage tour operators to stop promoting captive facilities 13:00 – 14:00. Lunch 14:00 – 14:30. Plenary discussion: WCA captivity policy document discussion and sign off 14:30 – 15:00. Draft Plan 2016 – 2017 9:30 – 15:00 *SYMPOSIUM BY THE POLICY, ADVOCACY AND CAMPAIGNING WORKING GROUP: Ghost fishing gear and entanglement* *9:30 – 10:30. Short presentations* The Net Effect campaign – a review of progress so far and expectations for the Symposium. *Dylan Walker, Secretariat, WCA* Case studies from around the world including: Beach clean ups and the calamari fishery. Lloyd Edwards, *Raggy Charters, South Africa* Net effect education programme trial and results. *Cynde McInnis, Cape Ann Whale Watch, USA (video)* *Call for Short Presentations (5 minutes plus questions) from Partners, invited speakers and Azorean attendees. Contact lauren@worldcetaceanalliance.org <lauren@worldcetaceanalliance.org>** to request to give a presentation* 10:30 – 11:00. Break 11:00 – 11:30. Update on the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI) 11:30 – 12:30. Workshop. Developing the Net Effect programme in support of the GGGI: 1. Building Evidence 2. Raising awareness 12:30 – 13:00. Entanglement and ghost nets: Ideas for the WhaleFest 2016 campaign 13:00 – 14:00. Lunch 14:00 – 14:30. Action for the vaquita: caught in nets and going extinct. *Malcolm Barradell, WCA Partner* 14:30 – 15:00. Draft Plan: 2016 – 2017 15:00 – 15:30. Break 15.30 – 17.30 *WORKSHOP: HOW CAN THE WCA BENEFIT ITS PARTNERS? HOW CAN THE PARTNERS BENEFIT THE WCA?* *Prior questionnaire to partners and attendees supports workshop activities* Discussion: Developing a volunteer and guides exchange programme, and a scheme to encourage whale watchers to travel with WCA Partners, rate and review them. *Led by Lloyd Edwards, Raggy Charters, South Africa* Q&A session 17.30 – 18.30 WORLD CETACEAN ALLIANCE AGM *World Whale Conference* *Day 2* *Tuesday 27 October* Global programmes to protect cetaceans: 2016 - 2017 8:30 – 9:00 Coffee 9.00 – 15.00 *SYMPOSIUM BY THE SCIENCE WORKING GROUP: Beaked whale research and conservation* *9:00 – 10:00. Short presentations* Why beaked whales? Introduction and expectations for the Symposium. Short presentations on beaked whale research and conservation including: Beaked whale habitat modelling from ship-based surveys from Portugal to Madeira, Azores, Canary Islands and Cape Verde Islands. *Ana Mafalda Tomás Correia* The use of whale watching platforms of opportunity to collect data on IUCN data deficient species: Cuvier’s beaked whale Mediterranean sub-population as a case study. *Marília Olio* *Call for Short Presentations (5 minutes plus questions) from Partners, invited speakers and Azorean attendees. Contact lauren@worldcetaceanalliance.org <lauren@worldcetaceanalliance.org>** to request to give a presentation* 10:00 – 10:30. Beaked whale activity 10:30 – 11:00. Break 11:00 – 13:00. Workshop: 1. Developing a beaked whale photo ID catalogue for the North Atlantic 1. Strategy for a Beaked Whale Advisory Panel focused on assisting the IUCN Red List process 13:00 – 14:00. Lunch 14:00 – 15:00. Review workshop results and agree Draft Plan 2016 – 2017 9.00 – 15.00 *SYMPOSIUM BY THE WORKING GROUP ON RESPONSIBLE WHALE AND DOLPHIN WATCHING – Responsible whale watching frameworks worldwide: a blueprint for success? * 9:00 – 9:15. Introduction, draft plan for 2016-17 and expectations for the Symposium. 9:15 – 10:30. Reviewing best practice frameworks from around the world *Beth Hinton and Jack McNamara present their study along with destination experts as we look at how the following destinations have tackled responsible whale and dolphin watching:* - Pacific Northwest, USA / Canada – *Jarred Towers, NIMMSA, Canada* - Peninsula Valdez, Argentina - South Africa – *Lloyd Edwards, Raggy Charters, South Africa* - Cook Islands – *Natalie Barefoot, WCA Partner, USA* - Praia do Forte, Brazil – *Luena Fernandez, Humpback Whale Institute, Brazil* - Madeira – *Luis Dias, Ventura do Mar, Madeira, Portugal* - The Azores, Portugal - Dominican Republic - El Vizcaino Biosphere Reserve, Mexico - Hervey Bay, Australia - Iceland - Kaikoura, New Zealand - Kingdom of Tonga - Massachusetts, USA - Outer Barrier Reef, Australia 10:30 – 11:00. Break 11:00 – 13:00. Workshop: Creating a responsible whale watching framework for all destinations – with implications for Whale Heritage Sites 13:00 – 14:00. Lunch 14:00 – 14:45. Swimming with whales and dolphins – seeking an acceptable standard and a policy position *Led by Malcolm Barradell, WCA Partner* 14:45 – 15:00. Summary and Draft Plan: 2016 – 2017 15:00 – 15:30. Break 15.30 – 17.30 *Improving communication between WCA Partners* Includes ASANA demonstration *2016-2017 ACTION PLAN ROUND UP* Moving forward, measuring success! *19.30 – 23.00 WCA Dinner and ‘Fun Raising’ Entertainment* More information to follow soon. Regards, Dylan Walker *WCA Secretariat* *Without collaboration we will achieve nothing more than a drop in the ocean. ~ Jean-Michel Cousteau, Honorary President, WCA* *​* Studio 3, Lower Promenade, Madeira Drive, Brighton, BN2 1ET, UK Office: +44(0)1273 355011. Mob: +44(0)7900 471490 www.worldcetaceanalliance.org