NAMMCO - the North Atlantic Marine Mammal Commission – was established by the Agreement on Cooperation in Research, Conservation and Management of Marine Mammals in the North Atlantic (hereafter referred to as the NAMMCO Agreement), signed in Nuuk, Greenland 9 April 1992 by the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland and Norway. The NAMMCO agreement has its basis in internationally recognized principles of conservation and sustainable use of renewable resources. Marine resources, including marine mammals, are of particular economic and cultural importance to the member countries of NAMMCO. Through this regional regime, member countries aim to strengthen international cooperation on, and rational science-based approaches to, the conservation, management and study of marine mammals.

Canada, Denmark, Japan, the Russian Federation and St. Lucia, as well as a number of inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations participate as observers to NAMMCO.

NAMMCO is comprised of a Council, a Scientific Committee, which provides advice on marine mammal stocks of management interest based on results of international scientific assessments, and a Management Committee, which proposes measures for conservation and management to member countries and makes recommendations to the Council for scientific research. The Commission has also established a number of other committees and working groups to deal with specific areas of cooperation, such as hunting methods and information. The Joint Control Scheme for the Hunting of Marine Mammals, which provides for an exchange of international observers appointed by NAMMCO, was implemented in 1998.