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The Marine Mammal Commission works closely in Alaska with agencies, Alaska Native Organizations, academic, and other partners to support the conservation and co-management of marine mammals and their ecosystems. The Commission regularly attends marine mammal co-management meetings and related scientific workshops and symposia to stay informed on emerging conservation and management issues. Below are a few recent highlights:
Alaska Native Liaison Jackie Shaff attended the annual meeting of the Alaska Beluga Whale Committee with Scientific Advisor Dr. Robert Suydam, who also serves on the Alaska Beluga Whale Committee Science Team.
Commissioner Sue Moore and Shaff attended the annual meeting of the Eskimo Walrus Commission. The Commission’s Special Advisor on Native Affairs, Vera Metcalf, serves as Executive Director of the Eskimo Walrus Commission.
Commission staff attended the virtual Polar Bear Range States Meeting of the Parties, an international forum established under the 1973 Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears that brings together the five polar bear range states (Canada, Greenland, Norway, Russia, and the United States) to coordinate conservation and management efforts.
Commissioner Moore and Commission staff also participated in the Alaska Marine Science Symposium, an annual gathering in Anchorage that brings together researchers, managers, educators, students, and the public to share the latest science on Alaska’s marine ecosystems.
In February, Commissioner Moore, Metcalf, and Shaff presented on the Commission’s work in the Bering Strait region for Alaska Sea Grant’s Strait Science series. A recording of the talk is available on YouTube.
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