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The Cetacean Specialist Group promotes and facilitates the conservation of cetaceans worldwide.  It functions as a catalyst, clearing house, and facilitator for cetacean-related research and conservation action. Our guiding premise is that conservation ultimately depends upon good science, and the group’s credibility and value are based on maintaining high standards of scientific rigor. The advice we provide relates mainly to the status of populations, abundance, trends, the effects of current or potential threats, and the efficacy of mitigation. Our emphasis is on the recovery of endangered species and populations, but we also recognize the importance of maintaining the full diversity of the Cetacea, which includes about 90 species and many populations.

Socialising Heaviside’s dolphins, Cephalorhynchus heavisidii,photographed in Walvis Bay, Namibia. Photo: Simon Elwen

The current Chairman of the CSG is Randall Reeves and the Deputy Chairman is Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara.  Barbara Taylor is the focal point of the Red List Authority, Lloyd Lowry is the Red List Facilitator and there are four regional coordinators: Asia – Brian Smith, Latin America – Enrique Crespo, Africa – Tim Collins, and Oceania – Elanor Bell and Mike Double.

Gill Braulik provides support to the CSG by managing this website.

There are currently 118 members.