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Iceland seeks EU membership; Japan cuts whaling subsidies (November 2009)
As Iceland pursues its bid to become part of the European Union (EU), cetacean charities are calling on the EU to make the whaling nation's membership conditional on the cessation of the slaughter. It had been hoped that the election of a new government in Iceland in April 2009 would prompt a review of the country's whaling policy. Instead, the government significantly increased the quota of fin and minke whales to be killed, with most of the whale meat being exported to Japan. International trade in the products of both of these species is banned by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), but Iceland has lodged objections and continues to break international law. Please lobby the EU, your Icelandic Embassy and (if you live in Europe) your MEP.

Read more and join in Care for the Wild's lobbying campaign
Meanwhile, Japan's Spending Review Committee has recommended that loans to the Institute for Cetacean Research which runs Japan's farcical 'scientific research' programme should be axed. Such a significant decision, especially if combined with anti-whaling conditions imposed upon Iceland's membership of the EU, could bring the end of whaling so much closer.

Find out more about the Spending Review Committee's decision
Taiji residents tested for mercury levels (October 2009)
As the international spotlight shines ever brighter on Taiji's drive hunts, authorities have admitted to testing residents' hair to determine levels of toxic mercury in the population. The tests are not compulsory, but anyone attending a routine health appointment can provide a sample of hair to be tested for methyl mercury. This toxin is found in the meat of the dolphins and pilot whales slaughtered in Taiji and consumed by many of the town's 3500 residents including its school children. It then 'bioaccumulates' in their bodies. A spokeswoman for the Taiji authorities declined to comment on what would happen if significant mercury poisoning is revealed, but it is to be hoped that this will add further weight to the campaign to end the drive hunt.   

Read more about the mercury testing
Pingers prove there's profit in conservation (September 2009)
An Australian entrepreneur has demonstrated that there's money to be made protecting dolphins, with the development of a new dolphin-deterrent 'pinger'. Pingers are attached to fishing nets and emit a sound which causes avoidance behaviour in sonar-sensitive small cetaceans. They are proven to significantly reduce the bycatch which currently kills around 300,000 dolphins and porpoises annually.

Find out more about the new pingers

Taiji bows to international pressure on drive hunt (September 2009)
Meanwhile there is mixed news for the small cetaceans around Taiji in Japan, where the 'traditional' annual drive hunt was staged earlier this month. There are signs that the Japanese have to some extent bowed to international pressures. This year fewer animals were captured and, of 100 dolphins were caught, 'only' 50 were sold into captivity in aquaria whilst the others were released. However, it appears that around 50 pilot whales were also captured and slaughtered for meat. Many think that the smaller-scale hunt could be a response to the huge international interest created by the movie The Cove.

Read about the latest Taiji drive hunt
Find out more about The Cove and watch a trailer
Killer whale families meet up to socialise (August 2009)
New research has found that large gatherings of orca in Russia's Avacha Gulf could have a wider social purpose. Scientists studying groups of as many as 100 killer whales have observed and analysed behaviour which suggests that smaller family pods congregate not only to feed and breed, but also to form and maintain broader social relationships. The research, published in the Journal of Ethology, was funded mostly by the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.  It will help to inform the actions needed to conserve the world's orca populations in the face of the many threats caused by human activities.

Read more about the sociable killer whales
Whale-watching on the increase, and Croatia outlaws captivity (July 2009)
A new report from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has revealed that more than 13 million people went whale-watching in 2008. The report emphatically supports the view that cetaceans are worth more alive than dead, and clearly illustrates the economic importance of the whale-watching industry: in 2008, it employed 13,200 people worldwide and generated tourism income of US$2.1 billion (£1.3 million). Watching cetaceans in the wild is the only way to appreciate these animals, and Croatia has recently set an excellent example by prohibiting the keeping of whales and dolphins in captivity for entertainment and other commercial purposes. The ENDCAP coalition is currently lobbying to contain the further development of captive cetacean facilities throughout the European Union. 

Read more about the IFAW report on the whale-watching industry
Download the full report  Adobe pdf icon  (11.8MB, 295 pages)

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Find out more about Croatia's ban on captive cetaceans
Sign the ENDCAP petition
Pro-conservation countries must fight to keep the ban (June 2009)
As the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meets in Madiera this month, there is a worrying push for increased whaling activities from some nations. Iceland's hunters have already killed their first two fin whales in a season which could potentially see 150 of these endangered animals slaughtered. This is despite the fact that whale-watching generates £5 million of revenue annually for Iceland's coastal communities. Meanwhile Denmark will seek permission at the IWC meeting for Greenland to kill 50 humpback whales under the guise of 'subsistence whaling', and Japan will pursue its proposal to allow commercial coastal whaling in its own waters.

Read more about Iceland's fin and minke whale hunt
Find out more about Denmark's threat to humpback whales
Cardigan Bay’s bottlenose dolphins under threat (May 2009)
Conservationists have raised concerns that the UK’s second-largest resident population of bottlenose dolphins is under threat from a commercial scallop fishery. Dredging for scallops is widely acknowledged to be one of the most destructive fishing activities, yet 28 different boats are currently licensed to dredge in Cardigan Bay, Wales (parts of which are designated as a Special Area of Conservation). Apart from the devastating damage caused to the seabed and its wildlife, the dredging and the noise it creates disturb over 100 resident bottlenoses who feed and breed in the Bay. Cetacean conservation organisation the Marine Connection believes that permitting such destructive commercial fishing in Cardigan Bay could contravene European wildlife protection laws. However the multi-million pound scallop industry is lobbying for the licences to remain, and the Welsh authorities are reluctant to introduce a dredging ban.

Read more about the scallop fishery

You can support research into the bottlenose dolphins by joining the Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre on its dolphin surveys, or Seawatch Foundation on one of its training courses. Both run from New Quay in Wales.

Get more information on the Marine Wildlife Centre surveys
Get information on the Seawatch Foundation courses
July dates for 2009 UK National Whale and Dolphin Watch (May 2009)
The eighth UK National Whale and Dolphin Watch will take place from 18 to 26 July 2009. If you will be in the UK during that week, you can contribute to the Sea Watch Foundation's research by surveying for cetaceans from land or at sea and reporting any sightings. You can survey independently or join one of many organised land- and boat-based watches.

Find out more
Dominica confirms pro-conservation stance at international symposium (April 2009)
The Prime Minister of Dominica has confirmed his country's status as the "Nature Island" in a speech at the recent Ocean Life Symposium in Roseau. Dominica is one of the best places in the world to see sperm whales but, less than two years ago, it was part of a bloc of six Caribbean nations which supported Japan at the International Whaling Commission. Since then, the self-proclaimed "Nature Island" has broken away from Japan and the influence of its "international aid" (otherwise known as vote-buying), and Dominica's Prime Minister used the Ocean Life event to strongly reaffirm the island's commitment to conserving cetaceans and preserving the natural environment. The deep, sheltered waters on the leeward side of Dominica are a haven for sperm whale mothers and calves.

Read more about the Ocean Life Symposium
Please email Prime Minister Skerrit to thank him for his strong, pro-conservation stance

Find out more about whale-watching in Dominica
Innovative sedation technique frees endangered whale from entanglement (March 2009)
For the first time ever, 'cutting-edge' sedation procedures have been used to disentangle a northern right whale from discarded fishing gear in a complex rescue operation off Georgia. Entanglement is one of the main threats to this critically endangered species, the global population of which numbers less than 400. Rescue attempts necessarily mean boats and people making close approaches to whales, but this can cause the animals to become stressed and swim off. The use of sedatives can reduce stress levels and will hopefully increase the chances of a successful disentanglement. The Georgia right whale had been entangled in a large amount of fishing gear for over seven weeks and, although the rescuers removed 90% of the gear, the whale is in poor condition and unfortunately may still not survive.

Read more about the rescue operation and the new sedation technique
Adopt a Northern right whale and support essential research and rescue work

UPDATE (April 2009): Some good news! Despite the threat from entanglement, researchers have reported a record number of northern right whales in the species' main breeding grounds off Florida and Georgia.
Find out more
US-brokered deal could undermine commercial whaling ban
(February 2009)
A ‘compromise’ agreement being brokered by the US could allow Japan to hunt whales commercially for the first time in decades, unless pro-conservation countries stand their ground. Dr. William Hogarth, a long-serving appointee of the Bush administration, is both the US Commissioner at and (currently) Chair of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). His proposal would allow Japan to hunt whales commercially in its own waters, in exchange for voluntarily reducing the number of whales it kills for ‘scientific’ purposes in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. Dr. Hogarth aims to get his proposal agreed at the next meeting of the IWC, before his tenure as Chair expires. It is vital that the Obama administration halts this alarming development.

Find out more about the agreement Dr. Hogarth has brokered
Read about WDCS's campaign for the IWC to reject the 'compromise'
Please email President Obama and support the WDCS campaign
Please also sign the Humane Society International's petition to the President

UPDATE (May 2009): The Hogarth talks have failed to reach an agreement in advance of the IWC meeting in Madeira.
Find out more
Please sign WDCS's petition to the European Union and the US Government, asking them to ensure that the global ban on commercial whaling remains.
Sign the petition
US Navy given permission to kill and injure cetaceans (January 2009)
Dozens of cetaceans could die or be injured as a result of military operations in US waters off Hawaii. NOAA's Fisheries Service has given the US Navy consent to undertake an extensive programme of military sonar activities over the next five years, during which it will be permitted to injure or kill up to 10 animals from each of 11 cetacean species. NOAA has set out some protective measures, but acknowledges that the use of sonar can cause temporary loss of hearing and stranding amongst whales and dolphins.
Meanwhile, there's better news as the US Government announces the creation of three new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Pacific Ocean, all of which include important whale and dolphin habitat. Commercial fishing and mining will be banned, but activities such as whale-watching, diving and recreational fishing will continue. The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) has been campaigning for the creation of 12 new MPAs by 2012.

Find out more about the military activities around Hawaii
Read more about the new Marine Protected Areas
Sign the WDCS global petition for the creation of 12 new MPAs by 2012
Volunteer-supported research makes case for extension of conservation area (December 2008)
Research undertaken as part of an Earthwatch volunteer project has concluded that the bottlenose dolphins of Scotland's Moray Firth need greater protection through an enhanced Special Area of Conservation (SAC). These dolphins form the most northerly resident population of the species in the world. Larger than bottlenoses in warmer waters, they are nevertheless highly vulnerable to disturbance and injury arising from various human activities. A four-year study of the dolphins' abundance, behaviour and movements found that the outer Moray Firth - not currently designated as an SAC - is critically important to the survival of this population and not merely a 'corridor' to the existing inner Moray Firth SAC. The research and its conclusions demonstrate the value of volunteer-supported projects to the conservation of vulnerable cetaceans.

Find out more about the research and its conclusions
Join the Earthwatch Whales and Dolphins of Moray Firth project
New reports give lie to "cetaceans eat our fish" claims (November 2008)
Two recent reports have highlighted the impact of human consumption on the oceans, and the appalling waste of fish resources that characterises our exploitation of the Earth’s seas. Those who support the hunting of cetaceans often try to claim that these animals compete with humans for fish stocks, but the new reports demonstrate just how much fish we waste. A Worldwide Fund for Nature report Sea Creatures Are Not Rubbish highlights that, in the North Sea alone, one million tonnes of fish and other sea creatures (one third of the catch) are thrown overboard each year. Meanwhile, a study published in the scientific journal Annual Review of Environment and Resources reports that one third of the world's marine fish catch (over 28 million tonnes) is fed to farmed fish, pigs, and poultry. These ‘forage fish’ are perfectly suitable for human consumption, as well as being an important food source for marine mammals, seabirds and larger fish.

Read more about the Sea Creatures Are Not Rubbish report
Find out more about the use of forage fish to feed farmed animals

Not everyone would want to stop eating meat, fish and eggs altogether, but please consider eating less of these foods so that more wild fish are left for whales, dolphins and porpoises to eat!
Click here for information on alternatives to meat and fish
Canadian government sued over lack of action on critical orca habitat (October 2008)
Six environmental groups have sued Canada's federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans for failure to safeguard the habitat of British Columbia's resident orca. It is hoped the ground-breaking lawsuit will force the government to protect the endangered populations and their habitat by creating a Marine Protected Area. These orca are a favourite with wildlife-loving tourists who travel from all over the world to see them, but their numbers are decreasing due to threats including decreases in salmon stocks (their main prey), poorly-regulated boat traffic, and toxic/noise pollution. Fisheries and Oceans Canada acknowledged in March 2008 that the habitat around Vancouver Island is critical to the survival of two populations of orca, but it is alleged it has done little to protect it. Please email the Department and ask it to take action to protect the orca's habitat.

Read about the lawsuit
Find out more
Email Fisheries and Oceans Canada 

And just in case anyone needs reminding how charismatic the Vancouver Island orca are, wildlife photographer Rolf Hicker has recently published some amazing photographs in the UK's Daily Mail.
See the orca photos
Bad news on noise pollution, but Chile spearheads action for cetaceans (September 2008)
A comprehensive report by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has confirmed that noise pollution is now one of the greatest threats to marine wildlife, especially cetaceans. It concludes that global action is needed to address the issue of anthropogenic noise in our oceans. Disturbance from human activities such as sonar or seismic surveys and noise from the world's 100,000 commercial ships injures or even kills cetaceans, interferes with their communication, and changes their feeding, breeding and migratory behaviour.
Meanwhile, in a move which shows the international community the way forward, the Chilean Congress has acted to protect cetaceans in the seas off the country's 5,500km (3,400 mile) long coast. Congress voted unanimously to declare all Chilean waters a whale sanctuary, a proposal that has secured the support of fishermen and the navy as well as conservation organisations, politicians and the public.

Read more about the IFAW report on marine noise pollution
Download the full report  Adobe pdf icon  (3.7MB, 44 pages)

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Find out more about the Chilean whale sanctuary
Latest IUCN assessment of cetaceans - mixed news (August 2008)
The latest assessment of cetacean species' conservation status reveals a couple of good news stories amongst some sober statistics. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) reports that populations of humpback and Southern right whales are recovering, thanks to years of protection from commercial hunting. However more than 10% of our cetacean species are classified as Endangered or Critically Endangered. Following the probable extinction of the Yangtze river dolphin (announced in December 2006), the vaquita (one of the six porpoise species) is likely to be the next cetacean we lose - only around 150 individuals remain in the wild. The greatest threats to those species spared from hunting are now ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear, noise disturbance, habitat deterioration and depletion of prey.

Read more about the IUCN report
Download a full list of all the cetacean species/sub-species and their conservation status
  Adobe pdf icon  (16KB, 4 pages)

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Makah men found guilty of illegal whale kill (July 2008)
A federal court in Washington state has ruled that the slaughter of a grey whale by five members of the Makah tribe was illegal. Two of the men received custodial sentences, but whale conservationists believe the sentences are too light. The hunters shot the animal at least 16 times and sunk at least four harpoons into it, but it still bled for around 12 hours before dying and sinking to the bottom of the sea. The International Whaling Commission's ban on whaling allows for indigenous or aboriginal whaling if it is for subsistence (not commercial) purposes. Washington's Makah are allowed to hunt whales with permission from their own tribe and the federal government, but the convicted men said they had grown impatient with the permit process and so went ahead with the illegal (and brutal) hunt.

Read more about the Makah hunt and the convictions
Find out about aboriginal whaling
Power boat threat to UK marine life (June 2008)
UK-based charity The Marine Connection has expressed grave concerns about the impact of an imminent powerboat race around the country's coast. The 2008 Round Britain Powerboat Race will feature large, ocean-going boats reaching speeds as high as 190mph. The route will pass through or close to some of the UK's most precious habitat for marine mammals, including the Moray Firth and Cardigan Bay - home to important but vulnerable populations of bottlenose dolphin. In addition to the noise disturbance which the powerboats will create, there is also a high risk of fatal collisions with cetaceans, seals and other marine life. The Marine Connection is calling for better consultation when planning such events, so that areas where marine mammals are known to feed and breed can be avoided.

Find out more about the power boat race and its route
Email the Chair of the race organisers
Scientists announce new river dolphin species (May 2008)
Almost 18 months after the Yangtze river dolphin was declared “functionally extinct”, a new  species has been confirmed by scientists in South America. The Bolivian river dolphin Inia boliviensis - known locally as the 'bufeo' - was previously thought to be a sub-species of the famous 'pink' Amazon river dolphin. However, an extensive survey covering five South American countries has concluded that it should be given species status. The bufeo appears to be endemic to Bolivia, and the Government there has pledged to introduce new legislation to give it maximum protection. River dolphins are important indicator species for the health of their freshwater ecosystems, and the new conservation measures will also protect other rare species such as the giant otter.

Read more about the river dolphin survey and the bufeo
Join the seventh annual UK National Whale and Dolphin Watch (May 2008)
This year, the Sea Watch Foundation's UK National Whale and Dolphin Watch will take place from 21 to 29 June 2008. If you will be in the UK during the National Watch week, you can contribute to Sea Watch's research by surveying for cetaceans from land or at sea and reporting any sightings. You can survey independently or join one of many organised land- and boat-based watches.

Find out more about the 2008 Whale and Dolphin Watch

Download details of the organised watches  Adobe pdf icon  (65KB, 6 pages)

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Consumer power can help end Japanese whale slaughter (April 2008)
From cameras to fish - we all buy Japanese products. And we can all use our consumer power to stop Japan's relentless slaughter of cetaceans. The country's whaling fleet recently returned home having killed 550 whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary - only about half of the planned 'take' but still 550 too many. Greenpeace is calling on the President and CEO of Canon Inc, Fujio Mitarai, to use his influence as one of Japan's most important business leaders, and condemn his government's whaling policy.

Read more about the latest Japanese hunt in the Whale Sanctuary

Write to Mr. Mitarai at Canon and ask him to condemn the whale hunt
Altruistic dolphin saves whales' lives? (March 2008)
In a new twist to the debate about altruistic behaviour in dolphins, a friendly bottlenose seems to have saved the lives of a pygmy sperm whale mother and calf. The pair had persistently re-stranded at Mahia Beach, New Zealand until the dolphin - known as Moko - appeared to guide them out to sea. Find out more
'White' orca sighted off Aleutian Islands (March 2008)
Scientists on board one of NOAA's research vessels have photographed a 'white' orca off Alaska’s Aleutian Islands. The animal is in fact extremely light-coloured and does have pale markings in its 'saddle-patch' area. Read more and see photos of the orca
International charity urges change of emphasis at IWC (February 2008)
Ahead of the 60th annual general meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), global animal welfare charity WSPA is urging the commissioners to change the emphasis of their work. WSPA claims that at the 2007 meeting only around 5% of the IWC’s business focused on the protection and conservation of endangered whales. The 2008 meeting in May/June will be hosted by pro-conservation Chile, which is also home to one of the few confirmed breeding grounds for the endangered blue whale. The ‘nursery’, off Chiloe Island, was only discovered in 2003 and is now the focus of a growing whale-watching industry. You can add your voice to calls for the IWC to spend less time on discussions about killing cetaceans, and more on protecting them:

Read about the discovery of Chile's blue whale 'nursery'
New efforts to save Northern right whale from extinction (January 2008)
US scientists are monitoring Northern right whales from the air in an attempt to protect them at their winter breeding grounds. The only locations where the species is known to give birth are off Florida and Georgia, but here the animals are in constant danger from fatal ship strikes. Information on the whereabouts of the whales will be relayed to ship captains in an effort to avoid such accidents. Six Northern right whale births have been documented so far this season - scientists estimate that twice that number are born annually, but believe over 30 births each season are required to sustain the species. Even so, the total number of Northern right whales is thought to have edged towards the 400 mark, which raises the exciting possibility of undiscovered calving grounds.

Find out more about the monitoring off Florida and Georgia
Adopt a Northern right whale and support essential research and rescue work
(choose "Send adoption form by email")
Bud’s still out until Corky’s out (December 2007)
On 11 December 2007 it was exactly 38 years since Corky the orca was captured from the wild and consigned to a life of captivity. Corky is the longest-surviving captive orca, but the campaign to return her to the wild goes on.
She currently ‘lives’ at SeaWorld San Diego, performing degrading and unnatural tricks. Please don't visit captive cetacean facilities, and help spread the word that these animals should not be imprisoned and used for our entertainment. Captivity places enormous physical and mental stresses on orcas - they are extremely intelligent and range over great distances in the wild. High stress levels often show themselves as aggressive behaviour – Corky and other orcas perform under the ‘stage name’ of Shamu, but the original Shamu was ‘retired’ in 1971 after attacking a women who was encouraged to ride on the animal's back.
SeaWorld is part of the Busch Entertainment Corporation, which is owned by Anheuser Busch - manufacturers of Budweiser and Bud Light. Please don't drink these beers, and write to Anheuser Busch to tell them why.

Read more about the 38th anniversary of Corky's capture
Find out more about Corky and the campaign to free her  Adobe pdf icon  (237KB, 2 pages)
(includes contact details for Anheuser Busch) 

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Created by Gill Sinclair
 Last updated: 15 November 2009
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