This project is a cooperation of the Tethys Research Institute, WDCS (Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society), Ocean Care, earthOcean and ACCOBAMS (Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans in the Black and Mediterranean Seas).

Once one of the most common cetacean species in the Mediterranean, the common dolphin has declined throughout the region during the last 30-40 years. The causes of this generalized decline remain poorly understood but are thought to include prey depletion caused by overfishing, bycatch in fishing gear and habitat degradation. Intensive research has documented the risk of complete eradication for common dolphins living in the eastern Ionian Sea, one of their last critical habitats in the central Mediterranean.

The 2000-2010 IUCN Action Plan for the world's cetaceans noted that common dolphins had declined dramatically in the central and eastern Mediterranean and stressed that conservation action was urgently needed to prevent extirpation in this portion of the species' range. In 2003 the Mediterranean population of common dolphins was classified as Endangered in the IUCN Red List
of Threatened Animals.

Meaningful conservation action to protect common dolphins in the Mediterranean should include both top-down (basin-wide management) and bottom-up approaches (small-scale actions). While top-down action is important to develop a regional policy and institutional awareness, bottom-up initiatives are more likely to ensure timely progress in the conservation of critically endangered dolphin groups, particularly in areas where public awareness is scarce, institutional commitment to conservation is moderate, and problems are acute.

The Tethys Research Institute has been conducting research on Mediterranean coastal dolphins for over 20 years. Tethys researchers have described the status and identified the main factors threatening the survival of dolphin groups in Adriatic and Ionian Sea waters. This information has been communicated at national and international fora, and diffused through scientific publications and reports.

Yet, scientific publications and even action plans risk adding up to nothing more than paper documents. Poor local awareness and powerful economic interests (particularly with regard to commercial fisheries) challenge present conservation efforts. This project aims to create local awareness of the need to protect the marine ecosystems of which dolphins are one of the most charismatic components, and promote sustainable fishing and respect for natural heritage.

Together with the other partners in this project, Tethys has developed a substantive plan for turning the conservation of Common Dolphins in the Mediterranean into a success story.

The project will include activities in the fields of:
- Scientific monitoring of remaining Dolphin populations
- Awareness and Education
- Capacity building
- Conservation and Management

See the full Ionian Dolphin Project Proposal here (PDF)