In January 2018, a number of ASWN members gathered in Muscat for a workshop focusing on the final stages of development and capacity building for the creation of the ASWN regional data platform. The platform is being developed with Wild Me/Flukebook, and should be ready for wider use throughout the network within the next few weeks.

A full (illustrated!) report of the workshop is available for download here.   The report includes:

• summaries of research  updates from several ASWN range states;
• descriptions of the new data platform and its evolving features;
• summaries of discussions on how to incorporate fisheries stakeholders in data collection efforts for cetacean conservation in the region.

The report will be shared as a ‘For Information’ paper at the upcoming meeting of the International Whaling Commission’s Scientific Committee, as well as with the Scientific Council of the Convention for Migratory Species (CMS), which is following the progress of conservation efforts in relation to the CMS Concerted Action on Arabian Sea humpback whales.