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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...

The Winter Bay is on the move again! Whale meat vessel sets off for Japan

The Winter Bay, the second-rate vessel chartered by Icelandic whaler, Kristjan Loftsson, to move an estimated 1,700 tonnes of fin whale meat to Japan, is on the move again! The vessel has been moored in Tromso since June 11th.  Recent reports that the Winter Bay, which has only basic ice strengthening, would be stuck there maybe until late August/early September when ice conditions might be sufficiently favourable to allow her onward journey through the Northeast Passage, have clearly proved groundless or were simply red herrings: anything is possible with Loftsson.

So what can be done? We’ve been working alongside other like-minded NGOs to explore every avenue to get the Winter Bay and her cargo and paperwork inspected, with the aim of forcing her to return to Iceland. The Norwegian authorities have had every opportunity to inspect the vessel during her time at Tromso, but despite strong requests, have failed to do so.

We’ve also been working with global campaigning community, Avaaz, to target St Kitts and Nevis, the small Caribbean island nation that provides a ‘flag of convenience’ to the Winter Bay. Such is her history (and that of her parent company, Aquaships) that most countries would not touch her with the proverbial bargepole, as we previously reported.  


A flag state, however, has certain important responsibilities with regard to a vessel’s seaworthiness and the safety of her crew and Avaaz recently mounted a global petition urging St Kitts and Nevis to remove their flag from the vessel (and also to stop supporting Japan on whaling issues). The petition has over a million signatures – please sign and circulate if you haven’t already done so! The Northeast Passage is considered to be under Russian ownership, however, requests to Russia to refuse the Winter Bay permission to take that route have also fallen on deaf ears.

We will be tracking the Winter Bay as she moves towards the Northeast Passage: you can be sure that we will continue to fight to see this shipment returned to Iceland.  

Join our campaign to stop whaling in Iceland and instead see Iceland celebrated as a Whale Nation, not a whaling nation.