The IUCN SSC Cetacean Specialist Group (CSG) undertakes its work entirely on a volunteer basis. The terms of reference for the group are determined by the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC). Our group’s work is expected to be guided by the IUCN SSC Strategic Plan, which is based on the IUCN termed ‘Assess-Plan-Act-Network-Communicate-Mobilise Resources’ cycle.
What We Do
Every four years (quadrennium) all specialist groups, including the CSG, are asked to define a suite of targets that describe the group’s goals for the next four years. These are grouped into the different elements of this cycle. Each specialist group is asked to track its progress towards meeting its targets, and every year, the CSG is requested to provide progress reports to the SSC. The most recent IUCN quadrennium began in 2021 and finishes in 2025 and the reports and data targets are detailed in the CSG annual reports that can be accessed here:
Quadrennium 2021-2025
The following provides a brief summary of the work conducted by the CSG:
IUCN-SSC 2026-2029 revised Conservation cycle
The following provides a brief summary of the work conducted by the CSG:
- Assess: The CSG is responsible for assessing the 90+ species and selected subspecies and subpopulations of cetaceans for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This work is currently led by Barb Taylor and Alex Zerbini, the CSG Red List Authority Coordinators, supported by Gill Braulik, CSG Deputy Chair. This core team is complemented by CSG members who volunteer their time as members of the Cetacean Red List Authority to draft assessments and review them to ensure that all assessments are in keeping with the IUCN Red List Criteria and Categories. Assessments are updated at regular intervals. The latest updates and status can be found here. CSG members collaborated on a peer-reviewed publication reviewing the status of cetaceans world-wide, which can be found here.
- Plan: The CSG is directly or indirectly involved in conservation planning for a wide range of cetacean species around the globe. Barb Taylor and Grant Abel serve as the CSG Conservation Planning Co-Chairs, and lead an Integrated Conservation Planning for Cetaceans (ICPC) initiative. In the 2026-2029 Quadrennium, the CSG is focusing on developing a new Global Cetacean Action Plan – an extensive effort involving collaboration with multiple stakeholders. The CSG and its leadership also support conservation planning for a number of the most threatened cetacean species around the world by providing advice and input to meetings and national or regional species action plans. Some of these are highlighted in this flyer.
- Act: The CSG acts by providing advice and support to various initiatives around the world intended to mitigate threats and promote conservation policy. When deemed appropriate, the CSG writes letters of support or concern to governments and other stakeholders to highlight important cetacean conservation issues, and engages in advocacy in various policy forums, for example by drafting and promoting resolutions and policies related to cetacean conservation. In recent years the CSG has actively contributed to a number of conservation initiatives such as the Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force, the Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel, the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita (CIRVA), the Arabian Sea Whale Network, the Consortium for the Conservation of the Atlantic Humpback Dolphin, and the Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin Conservation Network.
- Network: The CSG collaborates closely with a wide range of national and international stakeholders to promote cetacean conservation worldwide and to ensure that its actions are complementary to those undertaken by other bodies. This includes regular attendance and representation at the International Whaling Commission’s (IWC) Scientific Committee and Commission meetings and at meetings of the Convention on Migratory Species’ (CMS) Scientific Council and Conference of Parties. The CSG collaborates with other intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) to formulate strategies and positions on issues of importance for cetacean conservation, including the development of the new Global Cetacean Action Plan. This can include, for example, preparation of reports, position statements, or technical advice for CITES meetings, or drafting motions for resolutions to be voted on during the quadrennial IUCN World Conservation Congress.
- Communicate: The CSG communicates with members through regular email exchanges and a listserv. The Group communicates with members and the interested public through news items and the other relevant information provided on its website and social media platforms, which currently include LinkedIn, Facebook and Bluesky. External communication is also achieved through presentations and papers at international meetings and via peer-reviewed journal articles.
- Mobilise resources: The CSG mobilises human resources through its membership and the advice it can provide to stakeholders around the globe. Furthermore, the website’s library acts as a repository for resources that are not accessible on other websites, such as the CIRVA (Vaquita) archive and documentation related to the Western Gray Whale Working Group. In terms of mobilising financial resources, the CSG does not exist as a legal entity, and as such, fundraising to support our core work occurs in collaboration with other organisations, such as the Brookfield Zoo Chicago, who hold and administer funds on our behalf. Our current fundraising targets are focused on costs associated with the development of a new Global Cetacean Action Plan, which will serve as an important resource for any stakeholders wishing to contribute to cetacean research and conservation.