Red List Updates Published for Sperm Whales and Lahille’s Bottlenose Dolphins

On 10^th October, 2025, the IUCN published Red List update 2025-2, timed to coincide with the World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi. This Red List issue includes two re-assessments of cetacean species. The sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) last assessed in 2008, remains Vulnerable (Whitehead et al., 2025). Lahille’s bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus gephyreus) has moved from the vulnerable category to Endangered (Fruet et al., 2025). Keeping the text and distribution maps of cetacean red list assessments up to date is very important as they are used in a large number of policies and in management decision making.

Summary of the Red List Status of Cetaceans

The Red List status and documentation for 93 cetacean species as well as 10 subspecies and 31 subpopulations can be found on the IUCN Red List website and is also summarised on the CSG website here. As of October 2025, of the 93 species assessed, 26% are assigned to a threatened category (i.e. CR, EN, VU), just over half (52%) are Least Concern, and 11% are considered DD (Table 1). The Cetacean Red List Authority has plans to undertake additional  assessments of subpopulations that are known or thought to be at higher risk than the species as a whole (e.g. killer whales, belugas and narwhals, dusky dolphins, Amazon River dolphins).

A Lahille’s bottlenose dolphin surfaces near the shore watched by a fisher. Photo credit: Alan Bonzan

Table 1. Summary information on Red List status as of October 2025.

References

Fruet, P., Daura-Jorge, F. & Vermeulen, E. 2025. Tursiops truncatus ssp. gephyreus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T134822416A280568158. Accessed on 20 October 2025.

Whitehead, H., Barlow, J., Dawson, S.M., Eguiguren, A., Miller, B. & Shabangu, F. 2025. Physeter macrocephalus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2025: e.T41755A50382216. Accessed on 20 October 2025.

The End of a Quadrennium – the IUCN World Conservation Congress

The IUCN World Conservation Congress (WCC) took place in Abu Dhabi from October 9-15, 2025. The WCC marked the end of IUCN’s  most recent 4-year cycle, or quadrennium. It included five days of exhibition and a forum, run in parallel, and a 3-day Members’ Assembly. The Cetacean Specialist Group took part, represented by Co-chair Gianna Minton and four other CSG members. The CSG hosted a booth with the theme of Conservation Planning and Action for Cetaceans.

Booth at the IUCN WCC under the theme of Conservation Planning and Action for Cetaceans, featuring core messages about the importance of collaboration.

The exhibition and forum were attended by more than 10,000 people, with numerous presentations, panel discussions, and side meetings taking place in parallel from 8am to 9pm each day. CSG members contributed to sessions on Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs), cetacean conservation, impacts of non-selective fisheries on marine life, connectivity, how the Red List can help protect deep sea biodiversity, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Ocean Initiative, and advancing Marine Conservation through Research, Literacy, and Policy.

Our booth attracted a steady flow of traffic, with an energetic team of local volunteers from the UAE Dolphin Project helping to answer questions and share information prepared for the booth. Materials on display included this flyer featuring the work of the CSG and regional species-specific initiatives for some of the most endangered cetaceans, and this concept note outlining the CSG’s plans to develop a new Global Cetacean Action Plan during the next quadrennium.

While the majority of visitors to our booth were fellow scientists and conservationists interested in learning more about cetaceans and how to incorporate them into their own work, a number of potential donors and policy makers from all over the globe also visited the booth and gained insight into the most pressing conservation needs for cetaceans, and how the CSG and its members and partners are addressing them. Hopefully the connections made during the WCC will lead to meaningful support and collaborations in the coming months and years.

Cetacean Specialist Group members participating in the WCC, from left to right – Andy Willson, Robert Baldwin, Gianna Minton, Liz Slooten, and Ada Natoli.

The booth also served as a meeting point and hub for partners from the Arabian Sea Whale Network (ASWN), the Consortium for the Conservation of the Atlantic Humpback Dolphin (CCAHD), and the Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin Network (HuDoNet), all of which were well-represented at the WCC and able to promote and strengthen their regional collaborations and initiatives.

The WCC ended with three days of formal voting and meetings for IUCN’s 1,400+ members from over 170 countries. Members voted on new leadership and a series of motions proposed by members, intended to guide conservation action in the 2026-2029 quadrennium. The IUCN as a whole adopted a new 20-year strategic plan and 4-year work programme. Vivek Menon was elected as the new Chair of the Species Survival Commission (SSC), the Commission under which the CSG and all other taxonomic specialist groups operate, and the SSC launched its own Species Strategic Plan 2026–2029.

The booth served as a focal point for regional cetacean conservation initiatives, including the draft Conservation Management Plan for the Arabian Sea humpback whale (left), the Arabian Sea Whale Network (Center), and the Consortium for the Conservation of the Atlantic Humpback Dolphin (right).

The Nuremberg Zoo generously provided funding for the booth, CSG member Ada Natoli organized the volunteers from the UAE Dolphin Project who staffed the booth ably throughout the exhibition, and  Juariah Muhamed designed the back wall and front counter of the booth. Juariah also created this 20-minute video/slide show for the screen at the back of the booth, which beautifully illustrates some of the work of the CSG and its partners.

CSG members participated in presentations and panels.

A huge thanks to the local team of volunteers from the UAE Dolphin Project who staffed the booth, which attracted a steady flow of visitors!

June 2025 Update on Important Marine Mammal Areas

The Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA) Initiative, the main activity of the Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force (MMPATF), has been underway since 2016 when the first expert workshop was convened to identify IMMAs in the Mediterranean Sea. Since 2016, more than 320 scientists from 80 countries have attended 11 regional workshops which have examined almost 80% of the world’s oceans. As of July 2025, the work has resulted in the identification of 323 IMMAs, all available to view and explore in the online e-Atlas. The IMMA spatial layers, which can be used by a wide range of stakeholders for research, mitigation, planning or management, are available on request and have been sent to thousands of users from more than 90 countries.

Currently 100 of the 135 species of whales, dolphins and other marine mammals are included as species that meet IMMA criteria. 247 IMMAs (76.5% of the total) contain important habitat for at least one threatened marine mammal species. The total area of all IMMAs now covers 51,503,283 km², or nearly 18% of the ocean surface area that has been ‘examined’ by the MMPATF thus far. In addition, 196 Areas of Interest (AoI) have been identified for the e-Atlas. The AoI category features areas with insufficient evidence to be designated as IMMAs when they were evaluated, but were considered to have the potential to be designated once more research has been conducted.

A poster summarising progress in identifying IMMAs and their impact on conservation was presented in June 2025 at the One Ocean Science Congress in Nice.

The Important Marine Mammal Area (IMMA) initiative has helped strengthen the ‘voice’ for conservation and protection of marine mammals and their habitat globally. IMMA layers are presented on the platforms of Global Fishing Watch and the Proteus Partnership. They contribute to environmental impact assessments, and are used by regional and national governments in South America, Southeast Asia and the European Union for marine spatial planning and in the design of protected areas.

The next region to be examined for IMMAs is the Southeast Atlantic Ocean in 2026.

For more information about the background to the IMMA Programme and the CSG’s role in the work, please see our permanent IMMA page.