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We're at COP28 to Save the Whale, Save the World.

We’re at COP28 to save the whale, save the world

Ed Goodall Ed is WDC's head of intergovernmental engagement. He meets with world leaders to...
Gray whales from drone.

We’re taking steps to uncover the mysteries of whales

Vicki James Vicki is WDC's protected areas coordinator, she helps to create safe ocean spaces...
We must protect our non-human allies. Image: Tom Brakefield, aurore murguet, johan63

We’re urging governments to protect all of our climate heroes – CITES

Katie Hunter Katie supports WDC's engagement in intergovernmental conversations and is working to end captivity...
The Natütama Foundation are dedicated to protecting endangered river dolphins. Image: Natutama

Guardians of the Amazon: protecting the endangered river dolphins

Ali Wood Ali is WDC's education projects coordinator. She is the editor of Splash! and KIDZONE,...
Amazon river dolphins. Image: Fernando Trujillo/Fundacion Omacha

Amazon tragedy as endangered river dolphins die in hot water

Ali Wood Ali is WDC's education projects coordinator. She is the editor of Splash! and KIDZONE,...
Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin © Mike Bossley/WDC

WDC in Japan – Part 3: Restoring freedom to dolphins in South Korea

Katrin Matthes Katrin is WDC's communications and campaigns officer for policy & communication in Germany...
Wintery scene in Iceland

Seeking sanctuary – Iceland’s complex relationship with whales

Hayley Flanagan Hayley is WDC's engagement officer, specialising in creating brilliant content for our website...
Whaling ship Hvalur 8 arrives at the whaling station with two fin whales

A summer of hope and heartbreak for whales in Icelandic waters

Luke McMillan Luke is WDC's Head of hunting and captivity. Now that the 2023 whaling season...

Are Japanese whalers hunting whales from Australia?

Andrew Darby, author and friend of the whales, reports that ‘Australian scientists have tracked a minke whale from the Great Barrier Reef deep into the subantarctic for the first time’.

There has been concern for some time that Japan has been hunting endangered minke whales in the North Pacific, but now it appears that minke whales being killed to keep a dying industry alive and some false sense of nationalistic pride, are also potentially having an impact on Australian whale watching.

Darby repotrts that, ‘Until now, the Japanese ”scientific” hunt, which kills minkes, was thought to harpoon whales that lived almost exclusively in the Antarctic. But a satellite tracking program on dwarf minke whales, the focus of growing reef tourism, followed one nicknamed Spot deep into the Southern Ocean before its tag expired. Asked whether these whales could be taken by the whalers, CSIRO environmental scientist Matt Curnock said: ”We are very concerned about that, yes.’

The report notes that Australian scientists had recorded a tagged minke whale swimming ‘into the Southern Ocean as far as 54.38 degrees south – iceberg territory – making a journey of 6000 kilometres before the final transmission on October 11.’

This revalation of the amazing migratory movements of minke whales follows hot on the heels of Australia”s legal challenge to Japan and the International Court of Justice.

You can find out more about whaling in Japan and the legal challenge.

If you have not read it, we would heartely recommend Andrew Darby’s book ‘Harpoon‘ on the issue of whaling.