 | Objectives |  | |
| The main objective of the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO) is to contribute through regional consultation and cooperation to the conservation, rational management and study of marine mammals in the North Atlantic. |
| Functions | | |
NAMMCO provides a mechanism for cooperation on conservation and management for all species of cetaceans and pinnipeds within the region.
NAMMCO provides a forum for the exchange of information among member countries on other matters related to marine mammal conservation and management, such as hunting methods and environmental questions.
NAMMCO, through the Scientific Committee, provides scientific advice in response to requests from the Council, utilizing, to the extent possible, existing scientific information.
NAMMCO has implemented the Joint NAMMCO Control Scheme for the Hunting of Marine Mammals which includes international observation of sealing and whaling activities in NAMMCO member countries.
Through regional cooperation, the member countries of NAMMCO aim to strengthen and further develop effective conservation and management measures for marine mammals. Such measures should be based on the best available scientific evidence, and should take into account both the complexity and vulnerability of the marine ecosystem, and the rights and needs of coastal communities to make a sustainable living from what the sea can provide.
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| Areas of Competences | | |
| Species and stocks coverage | | |
| All species of cetaceans (whales and dolphins) and pinnipeds (seals and walruses) in the region, many of which have not before been covered by such an international agreement. |
| Legal Framework | | |
Established by the Agreement on Cooperation in Research, Conservation and Management of Marine Mammals in the North Atlantic, signed in Nuuk, Greenland on 9 April 1992 by the current members of the Commission. It entered into force on 7 July 1992. The establishment of NAMMCO built upon a memorandum of understanding between the four member countries to establish an informal North Atlantic Committee for Cooperation on Research on Marine Mammals (NAC).
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