Link: Tom Ash, Senior Policy Officer
Update from the Group
The Marine Mammals Group is one of the longest standing Groups at Link.
Marine Mammals Group members successfully campaigned for a moratorium on commercial whaling at the IWC and supported the UK Government to establish and maintain a strong stance focused on cetacean welfare at the International Whaling Commission. The Group has a strong relationship with the UK delegation to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) and meets regularly with Defra officials and the IWC Commissioner.
The Group is focused on improving legal protections for marine mammals, especially from disturbance. Our priorities in this space can be found in this briefing. Our Marine Mammal Protection Act Sub-Group is assessing policy and advocacy routes to change and recently hosted a cross-party parliamentary roundtable.
We are also working on the effects of underwater noise on marine mammals. Government reforms should not only limit increases in noise due to the expansion of offshore wind, but reduce noise from all sources in key areas for marine mammals.
The Bycatch Group (Chairs: Jean Duggan, RSPB; Sarah Dolman, EIA) are working to ensure the accidental capture of protected species such as dolphins, porpoises, seabirds and sharks, is minimised in UK waters. We are working with Defra to accelerate their ambitions for Remote Electronic Monitoring and the Bycatch Mitigation Initiative, and are part of the Government's Clean Catch 2 programme.
For further information about the Marine Mammals Working Group, please contact Link's Senior Policy Officer, Tom Ash, at tom@wcl.org.uk
Last updated: February 2026
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