CRIOMM

Dr. Hiran Jayewardene

Convenor

Romany Rasquito

Executive Secretary

Howard Martenstyn

Research Director (volunteer)

Dr. Jonathan Gordon

Accoustics (consultant)

In the early 1980s, Sri Lanka became the focus of international attention as a result of the realization by RV Tulip that there was an unusual occurrence of the great whales off its coasts, especially off Trincomalee. With the growing influx of scientists and tourists interested in whales, it was decided to provide an institutional focus for interested persons, especially the scientific community, to interact with others, sharing similar interests and also to develop Indian Ocean regional skills in marine mammal management – in effect a marine mammal research centre.

Dr. Hiran Jayewardene, then founder chairman of National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) established the National Marine Mammal Programme (NMMP) and the Center for Research on Indian Ocean Marine Mammals (CRIOMM), having convened the first International Symposium on the Marine Mammals of the Indian Ocean in 1983. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) provided initial support for the program in respect of research and capacity building. This was followed by the establishment of Indian Ocean Marine Affairs Co-operation (IOMAC) to provide more focus to marine affairs in the region.

In 1983, CRIOMM set up a field station at Clappenburg Bay in Trincomalee under the auspices of IOMAC with support from NARA. An international advisory panel was constituted to guide its work.

IOMAC is once more reviving the activities of CRIOMM that had been suspended with the breakdown of the security situation in the mid 1980s.

Since 2009, whale watching in Sri Lanka has developed again into a major tourism activity, bringing with it challenges for management. So too with pollution and interaction in shipping lanes as well as the impact of off shore exploration and industry.

CRIOMM is solely dedicated to research on marine mammals. It serves as national forum and focal point for such activities working in close co-operation with the universities and government agencies as competent entities in a number of countries. The centre is presently embarking on a number of broad-based collaborative activities especially with the universities and relevant governmental agencies. Training of personnel in all facets has commenced. International linkages are being strengthened with a number of countries. Scientific and technical expertise in relevant fields is being activated. Deployment of a dedicated marine mammal research and observation vessel is underway with a number of ancillary buildings due to come on line in. CRIOMM will provide the backbone for long-term marine mammal management in Sri Lanka and the wider Indian Ocean region. It is hoped to re-establish a CRIOMM field station at Trincomalee.

The objectives of CRIOMM are to:

Provide an international forum for marine mammal management expertise in the context of Indian Ocean marine affairs co-operation.
Serve as a centre for marine mammal management especially research and marine mammal observationFacilitate marine scientific research.
Provide training and facilitate capacity-building.
Serve as an international information and resource centre.
Maintain a regional marine mammal research collectionFacilitate international exchanges of personnel.
Raise and disburse financial support for related activities.
Convene international conferences and workshops.
Procure and provide requisite equipment and facilities for carrying out the above functions.
Establish international linkages and sharing of experiences, expertise and facilities.
Support relevant governmental management efforts in these fields.
Undertake other activities necessary for the advancement of the above objectives.

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