GOVERNANCE · CONTROLLED DOCUMENT
AE-SOP-0405 — Cetacean Non-Captivity & Defence
To codify the League's absolute and non-negotiable position that no cetacean is ever taken into captivity, and to define how resident pods are tracked and defended. The procedure guarantees that marine mammals are never captured, held, or transported under any circumstance, that pods are monitored only by non-invasive means, and that any deliberate harm to a pod escalates straight to dossier opening.
ActiveGovernanceRev A
Doc Control AE-SOP-0405Revision AEffective 2090-01-08Next Review 2091-01-08Owner Fleet AdmiraltyApprover Fleet AdmiraltyStatus ActiveClass RESTRICTED // TIDEWATER-EYES-ONLY
1. Purpose
To codify the League's absolute and non-negotiable position that no cetacean is ever taken into captivity, and to define how resident pods are tracked and defended. The procedure guarantees that marine mammals are never captured, held, or transported under any circumstance, that pods are monitored only by non-invasive means, and that any deliberate harm to a pod escalates straight to dossier opening.
2. Scope
All League operations touching marine mammals.
- In scope: The non-captivity absolute, non-invasive pod tracking, defence against whaling and drive-hunts, and aid to entangled or stranded animals.
- Out of scope: The interdiction mechanics used to defend a pod, which follow AE-SOP-0320; the dossier process for harm escalation, which follows AE-SOP-0301.
3. Definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Non-Captivity Absolute | The unconditional rule that no cetacean is ever captured, held, or transported — without exception. |
| Photo-ID | Identification of individual animals by natural markings, used for non-invasive pod tracking. |
| Drive-Hunt | The herding of cetaceans into a confined kill or capture zone, a primary interdiction trigger. |
| Resident Pod | A tracked marine-mammal group within a defended range, monitored by photo-ID and acoustic tag. |
4. Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|
| Fleet Admiralty (Owner) | Owns and enforces the non-captivity absolute; authorises pod-defence escalation. |
| Marine Mammal Observer | Maintains photo-ID and acoustic tracking; flags illegal hunts from pod movement. |
| Veterinary Lead | Directs aid to entangled or stranded animals in the field. |
| NEREID | Correlates pod movements with vessel activity to surface whaling and drive-hunts for interdiction. |
5. Pod Defence Response Matrix
| Situation | Permitted Action | Prohibited Action | Escalation |
|---|
| Routine pod tracking | Photo-ID, acoustic tag | Any capture or restraint | None |
| Entanglement / stranding | Aid under vet direction | Captive holding | Field report |
| Illegal whaling detected | Interdict via AE-SOP-0320 | Boarding for capture | Dossier opening |
| Drive-hunt in progress | Disrupt the drive | Taking any animal aboard | Direct-Action referral |
Note. No situation — not rescue, not defence, not transport — ever justifies taking a cetacean into captivity; the absolute holds without exception.
6. Materials & Equipment
- Photo-ID catalogue of resident pods
- Acoustic-tag tracking array
- Non-invasive disentanglement tools
- Veterinary field-aid kit
- Vessel-activity correlation feed
- Dossier-opening referral channel
7. Procedure
7.1 Tracking
- Track and defend resident pods by photo-ID and acoustic tag only.
- Never capture, hold, or transport any cetacean — without exception.
- Maintain the photo-ID catalogue current for each resident pod.
7.2 Defence
- Use pod movements to flag illegal whaling and drive-hunts for interdiction.
- Disrupt drive-hunts and whaling under AE-SOP-0320, never by taking an animal aboard.
- Escalate any deliberate harm to a pod straight to dossier opening.
7.3 Aid
- Render aid to entangled or stranded animals under veterinary direction.
- Free and release in place — never into captivity.
- File a field report on every aid intervention.
8. Records
- Resident-pod photo-ID catalogue (retained permanently)
- Acoustic-tracking log
- Aid intervention field reports
- Whaling / drive-hunt detection log
- Dossier-opening referrals for pod harm
9. References
10. Revision History
| Rev | Date | Author | Summary |
|---|
| A | 2090-01-08 | Fleet Admiralty | Initial issue; non-captivity absolute, non-invasive tracking, and pod-defence matrix codified. |