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Comment Freely

The ICA examples presented in this Primer will be reviewed and revised if necessary in 2013. The first objective is to move these initial ICAs from a draft version to final version within a year.

Comment to [email protected]

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A Process Towards ICAs

A process and the operational capacity for the nomination and designation of new ICAs will be developed. This will mirror the process used to designate Important Bird Areas.

Anyone will be able to nominate an ICA. ICA proposals will be reviewed by a ICA technical committee. If ICA criteria are met with adequate scientific and/or historic supporting materials, and if no outstanding differences of opinion arise that require further investigation, the area will be designated.

The establishment and membership of the ICA review committee’s is up to the biologists or naturalists of a particular region or country.

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British Columbia and Southeast Alaska

Our next steps include the ‘sharpening’ of the example ICAs presented here as well as definition of further ICAs for all cetacean species in British Columbia and Southeast Alaska. There are other cetacean species using the areas already designated not listed in this primer, as well as other ICAs in this region not yet defined. For example, two more ICAs have been nominated in Southeast Alaska – the Fairweather Grounds and Yakutat Bay, and there are trans-border extensions of southern BC ICAs that should be addressed with Washington researchers.

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A Network of ICAs

The key to a functional network of ICAs is the independent, local initiation and governance of the program. We will be pleased to see the adoption of this program in any region or country, and will be happy to assist if we can.