TOPICS

The workshop will address a range of topics of common interest to wild and captive beluga research and management. The subjects include, but are not limited to the following:

• Beluga whale ecology;
• Conservation challenges;
• Stock management;
• Acoustics and behaviour;
• Reproduction;
• Health and husbandry;
• Management of the interactions between humans and beluga;
• Public education and outreach.
• Aboriginal People and beluga science, knowledge, and management.

In preparation for the workshop, registered participants will receive a working paper that reviews the status of beluga research in areas common to aquaria and wild beluga management interests. This is intended to bring participants up to speed in areas that may be outside their particular areas of expertise in preparation for discussion and collaboration during the workshop. The workshop will extend over two-and-a-half days with the goal of producing a research agenda that will be mutually beneficial to belugas in both the wild and captive environment.  It will simultaneously develop a list of public education goals to guide aquarium, eco-tour, and scientific outreach educational programs.  The workshop will consist of four sessions led by invited speakers (to be announced shortly), followed by in-depth discussion. A reporter will summarize the key ideas from each session and these will feed into the development of a draft research agenda by the scientific committee. On the last day, the draft research agenda will be presented for discussion, revision and approval by the workshop participants. Throughout the workshop, posters about beluga research, husbandry, management, eco-tourism, and educational outreach will be presented for review and discussion.