ACAP wraps up two weeks of meetings in Namibia with an AI Haiku

Attendees at the 15th Meeting of the ACAP Advisory Committee, Swakop Plaza Hotel, Swakopmund, Namibia, photograph by Wiesława Misiak

Wings reach over swells,
thirteen nations keep the watch,
the albatross glides

The AI-generated “HAIku” comes from the closing remarks of the AC15 Chair, Dr Michael Double

Following Thursday’s outing to Walvis Bay last week, the fifth day of the 15th Meeting of the ACAP Advisory Committee (AC15) in Swakopmund, Namibia was allocated to adopting the final report.  The Secretariat had spent Thursday completing a draft for comment by the attending delegates and observers and by Friday morning a clean version was available for adoption.  In the event, the whole day was not required, and with the report adopted section by section under the Chair of Dr Michael Double, AC15 was wrapped up by the afternoon tea break.  Once Parties have signed off the final report, it will be posted to this website.

Antonella Carminati Woll (Argentina), Elisa Goya Sueyoshi (Peru), Helena Moreno Colera (Spain) and Patricia Pereira Serafini (Brazil) at an AC15 evening reception hosted by Namibia, photograph by John Cooper

During the week, Chief Officers who chair the Advisory Committee and convene the working groups were all re-elected.  Dr, Johannes Fischer (Department of Conservation, New Zealand) joined the existing officers as a Vice-Convenor of the Population and Conservation Status Working Group, following being nominated by the United Kingdom and seconded by Brazil.

Where the next meeting of the Advisory Committee should be held is always an important matter to decide before the end of the meeting.  Chile offered to host AC16 in August or September 2027, in Punta Arenas in Southern Patagonia.  The Advisory Committee thanked Chile and warmly welcomed the offer.  Advisor to Chile’s Delegation, Mr Luis Adasme (Instituto de fomento pesquero (IFOP), then showed a one-minute video entitled “Punta Arenas & Nature” to whet the attendees’ appetites.  A draft agenda for AC16 was reviewed by the Advisory Committee and will be forwarded to AC members for their consideration in advance of the meeting.

The Africa contingent at AC15.  Namibia’s Head of Delegation and meeting host, Ms Graça Bauleth D’Almeida, Director: Resources Management, Directorate: Marine Ecosystem and Fisheries Research, Namibia Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, is in the centre in a white jacket, photograph by Makhudu Masotla

Following the formal adoption of the AC15 report, Michael Double closed the meeting with a vote of thanks to the Namibian hosts, also offering his thanks to his Vice Chair, Tatiana Neves (Brazil), all the Chief Officers, and the Secretariat.

Another AI effort by the Advisory Committee Chair, Dr Michael Double to accompany his closing remarks

John Cooper, Emeritus Information Officer, Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels, 08 June 2026