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Southern Resident whales

Ambitious plan to free captive orca Lolita announced

The new owner of the Miami Seaquarium in the US has announced that it is...
Gray whale

UN adopts High Seas Treaty to protect the ocean

At the UN 'High Seas Treaty' negotiations in New York, a historic vote for the...

Hopes raised for whale and dolphin protection after last minute landmark nature agreement

WDC's Ed Goodall (far right) at COP15 with Thérèse Coffey (centre) UK Secretary of State...

WDC orca champion picks up award

Beatrice Whishart MSP picks up her Nature Champion award The Scottish Environment LINK, an organisation...

Pacific Islands designate 2016 ’Year of the Whale’

The Pacific islands have announced that they will launch a “Pacific Year of the Whale” campaign in 2016.

At least 30 different whale and dolphin species around found throughout the region, which consists of 21 Pacific Island countries and territories. Some species, such as the blue whale and humpback whale, saw their populations decimated by the whaling industry. With protection now afforded to many species and the implementation of sanctuaries and other marine protected areas, numbers are now recovering.

Science, conservation and education will form major parts of the campaign which will look to further enhance whale conservation throughout the region. Many threats still exist such as entanglement in fishing nets, pollution and the possible consequences of climate change.

The campaign is being run by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme with the goal to produce an action plan by 2018 for future whale conservation action.

HumpbackPhoto © Vanessa Mignon