Skip to content
All articles
  • All articles
  • About whales & dolphins
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Green Whale
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Scottish Dolphin Centre
  • Stop whaling
Orca Lulu's body contained PCB levels 100x above the safe limit. Image: SMASS

Toxic tides, troubled whales: the toll of chemical pollution

In last week's blog, we examined the challenges whales and dolphins face as they travel...
Group of orcas at surface

Breaking barriers for whales and dolphins at the Convention of Migratory Species

Many species of whales, dolphins and porpoises undertake long journeys, encountering human-made obstacles along the...
Tokyo

WDC in Japan – Part 1: Finding allies in Tokyo

At the end of May, I embarked on an incredible journey to Japan on behalf...
Amazon river dolphins leaping

The state of river dolphin conservation

At Whale and Dolphin Conservation, we partner with conservationists and communities fighting to save river...
Researchers in Southeast Alaska studying whale poo

We’re funding crucial research on whale poo to combat the climate crisis

The ocean is one of the lungs of our planet, and whales help it to...
Narwhal surfacing

The unicorns of the sea must be protected – CITES

The narwhal, is under threat. Often referred to as the unicorns of the sea, narwhals,...
Sperm whales

We’re pushing governments for action for our climate heroes – whales

The climate crisis is the greatest threat to all life on Earth. But there is...
Dolphins captured for captivity in Taiji. Image: Hans Peter Roth

Loved and killed – whales and dolphins in Japan

Protests and criticism from outside Japan in response to the slaughter of whales and dolphins...

What future for Scotland’s whales and dolphins?

You can help the Scottish government decide what the future might look like!

This summer the Scottish government are giving you the opportunity to tell them what you think about their proposed marine protected area (MPA) network.

Whales and dolphins are STILL not included in the current MPAs – although they haven’t been ruled out of the process, yet.

You’ll know that for the last two years, WDC has been involved in on-going meetings and evidence building to try and ensure that whales and dolphins are part of Scotland’s MPA network. Before Christmas we handed more than 36,000 signatures over to Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Mr Lochhead, and at the same time Scottish Natural Heritage stated that the MPA network would not be complete without whales and dolphins in it!

This was great news – but we have some way to go. The Scottish government is conducting more analysis of existing data before they decide if whales and dolphins are considered in MPAs at a later stage.

In the next few weeks, Scottish Government will launch a full 16 week public consultation, which will include a section on MPAs. Shortly after this in early August, WDC will update our website with tips that we would like you to include in your consultation response.

If you can do one thing for Scotland’s whales and dolphins this year, please take the time to write a letter. Your response WILL make a difference and whales and dolphins will have safer homes if included in Scotland’s MPAs.

Sign-up to our newsletter and we’ll make sure to let you know when the consultation period begins.

Let’s make Scotland’s MPA network a world-leading one that we can be proud of!