Founder, Honorary President and Vice President of the Tethys Research Institute
Co-chair of the joint IUCN SSC/WCPA Task Force on Marine Mammal Protected Areas
Member of the IUCN SSC Cetacean Specialist Group
Member of the IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group
Member of the Scientific Steering Committee of the Global Ocean Biodiversity Initiative (GOBI)
Former tasks and appointments
In 1986 I started the Italian national cetacean stranding network, which I coordinated until 1990.
In 1996 I was appointed by the President of Italy as President of the Central Institute for Applied Marine Research, ICRAM (1996-2003), a government body tasked to provide scientific support to national marine conservation policy.
I have also served:
from 1999-2004 as the Italian Commissioner of the International Whaling Commission,
from 2002-2010 as Chair of the Scientific Committee of ACCOBAMS, and
from 2014 to 2022 as the Convention of Migratory Species CoP-appointed Councillor for aquatic mammals.