The international network unites institutions, experts, and qualified resources to deliver a swift and coordinated response to emergencies involving marine mammals.
Zoomarine has announced it is one of the founding members of AMERG – Aquatic Mammals Emergency Response Group –, a new international network promoted by the European Association for Aquatic Mammals (EAAM). Bringing together institutions, experts, and qualified resources, this new network was created to deliver a swift and coordinated response to emergencies involving marine mammals, such as mass strandings, oil spills, natural disasters, and cases of orphaned or injured marine mammals.
AMERG was established to address an increasingly alarming issue: according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, 26% of marine mammal species are now threatened—a significant increase from the 15% recorded in 1991. Mass strandings, contact with fishing activities, vessel collisions, pollution, and climate change are some of the threats that have grown more severe, requiring rapid action, specialised expertise, and international cooperation.
Martin Boye, President of EAAM, states, “AMERG reflects EAAM’s commitment to the highest standards of animal welfare and conservation. It is our responsibility, as professionals and institutions dedicated to aquatic mammals, to act swiftly and collaboratively whenever emergencies arise. This initiative enhances our ability to respond effectively—and, above all, enables us to make a real difference for the animals and ecosystems that need us most. Institutions caring for dolphins and other aquatic mammals play a vital role in this effort—their knowledge, infrastructure, anddedication are indispensable.”
More than a response force, AMERG will invest in technical and scientific capacity-building, promoting training, knowledge-sharing, and strengthening local preparedness in the most vulnerable regions and where marine mammals face the greatest obstacles to their survival. The AMERG network already includes dozens of leading partners, such as Oceanogràfic (Spain), Georgia Aquarium (USA), Fundación Omacha (Colombia), Sea World Abu Dhabi (UAE), African Aquatic Conservation Fund (Senegal), Instituto Mamirauá (Brazil), and Zoomarine (Portugal).
A global network with a Portuguese presence
As a founding member of AMERG, Zoomarine participates in a global network of entities that can be quickly activated in response to strandings, accidents, natural disasters, or other emergencies involving marine mammals, both in Portugal and internationally.
Zoomarine’s role includes deploying highly specialised technical teams for the rescue and clinical stabilisation of affected animals, providing its own infrastructure for shelter, treatment, and rehabilitation, and collaborating in the scientific coordination of field operations to ensure an integrated and effective response alongside the network’s international partners.
For João Neves, Zoomarine’s Conservation Director, “Zoomarine’s integration into AMERG reinforces our commitment to marine conservation based on science, field experience, and international collaboration. It also recognises the work we have developed over the years, particularly through Porto d’Abrigo, now a national reference structure for the rehabilitation of marine mammals.”
Faced with growing threats to life in the oceans, it is essential to ensure rapid and well-coordinated responses that protect animal welfare and preserve ecosystem integrity. We believe that only through expert action and effective cooperation networks can we successfully address the challenges of marine conservation in the 21st century—and AMERG is precisely that answer,” concludes the Director.
