UK Cetacean Conservation Strategy: technical report

Glossary

A guide to terms and acronyms used across the document

ADD: Acoustic Deterrent Device. A piece of equipment that emits loud pulses of sound to deter marine mammals from an area. Used in mitigation for offshore industries and at aquaculture sites to prevent depredation.

ALDFG: Abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear.

ASCOBANS: Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans in the Baltic, North East Atlantic, Irish and North Seas.

Bioaccumulation: The accumulation of substances, such as pesticides, or other chemicals in an organism.

Bycatch: Incidental non-target species caught in commercial fishing gear.

BMI: UK Bycatch Mitigation Initiative

Cetacean: Infra-order of marine mammals that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises.

UK CSIP: UK Cetacean Stranding Investigation Programme.

EIA: Environmental Impact Assessment.

DEPONS: Disturbance Effects of Noise on the Harbour Porpoise Population in the North Sea. A model for assessing population effects of disturbances on marine populations.

EPS: European Protected Species. Species listed in Annex IV of the Habitats Directive, which requires protection measures in relation to incidental killing and capture (e.g. fisheries bycatch) and disturbance.

FCS: Favourable Conservation Status. This is the overarching aim of the Habitats Directive. The conservation status of a species is considered favourable when the population is maintaining itself on a long-term basis, the natural range of the species is neither being reduced nor is likely to be reduced for the foreseeable future, and there is, and will probably continue to be, a sufficiently large habitat to maintain the populations on a long-term basis.

ICES: International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.

iPCOD: Interim Population Consequences of Disturbance. A modelling tool used to predict the population-level impacts from acoustic disturbance or lethal removal.

IWC: International Whaling Commission.

JNCC: Joint Nature Conservancy Committee.

MPA: Marine protected area. Area of sea protected by legislation.

MSFD: Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

OSPAR: The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic.

PCBs: Polychlorinated biphenyls.

PME: Postmortem Examination.

SAC: Special Area of Conservation. A site designated under the EU Habitats Directive. Often abbreviated to SAC.

SMASS: Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme.

SNCB: Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies. Body appointed by legislation to advise Governments on nature conservation issues.