18 November 2015: Participants at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) entanglement training workshop in Oman had the opportunity to put their training into practice when 36 spinner dolphins became beached near the workshop. The one-week workshop trained participants from Oman in a range of techniques for effective entanglement and stranding responses, using both classroom and boat-based exercises.

The IWC Oman workshop is the first workshop on entanglement on the Arabian Sea coast. Participants discussed region-specific issues and resources, such as partnerships with the Abu Dhabi regional office of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) and the Arabian Sea Whale Network.

The stranded spinner dolphins had been dead for four days by the time workshop participants reached them. Still, participants practiced data collection methods learned at the workshop, such as identifying the sex and species of the stranded animals and recording data on their length and other features.

This workshop was one of a series of trainings that IWC has carried out with partners on its international practices and guidelines for entanglement response. The IWC is also collaborating with the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to develop international principles and guidelines for stranding response.

Participants included cetacean scientists, representatives from fisheries bodies, the Navy, Coastguard, non-governmental organizations, and police officials. In addition to IWC and the Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) in Provincetown, US, the US Department of the Interior, IFAW, Oman’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs (MECA), the Coastguard of Oman and Five Oceans provided support for the workshop. [IWC Press Release] [Principles and Guidelines for Entanglement Response]