North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission (NAMMCO) is an international body devoted to conserving and studying marine mammals of the North Atlantic Ocean. These mammals consist of cetaceans (dolphins and whales) and pinnipeds (seals and walruses). The four founding members of NAMMCO are Iceland, Norway, and two overseas territories of DenmarkâGreenland and the Faroe Islands. They established the commission in 1992 by signing the NAMMCO Agreement in Nuuk, Greenland.
The NAMMCO Agreement aims to conserve all species of North Atlantic cetaceans and pinnipeds. Many of these species had never before been covered by such an agreement. NAMMCO helps its members develop plans to manage their own marine mammal populations. These plans encourage cooperation between nations and take into account the region’s complex and fragile marine environments. They also take into account the needs and rights of coastal communities to hunt marine mammals.
NAMMCO promotes scientific research on North Atlantic marine environments and the role of mammals in those environments. The commission has published scientific volumes in a series called NAMMCO Scientific Publications.
The NAMMCO Council, composed of one representative from each member country or territory, acts as the commission’s governing body. It is located in Tromso, Norway.
