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Vaquita. Photo Thomas Jefferson

Scientific Committee gives first ever official species extinction warning

Photo: Thomas Jefferson We have welcomed the urgent call by experts to protect the vaquita...
blue whale

Whale fossil from Peru may have been heavier than blue whale

Scientists examining the bones of a 39 million-year-old ancient whale have concluded that it may...
Humpback whale © Christopher Swann

Humpback whales breach in synchronisation

Humpback whales are renowned for their incredible acrobatic displays, but a family in the USA...
Long-finned pilot whale

Unusual activity witnessed before pilot whale stranding

Just days after a pod of long-finned pilot whales stranded on an island in the...
All policy news
  • All policy news
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Stop whaling
  • Strandings
Port River dolphins

New report reveals 100,000 dolphins and small whales hunted every year

When you hear the words ‘dolphin hunts’ it’s likely that you think of Japan or...

Minke whale hunts stop in Iceland

Iceland’s commercial hunt of minke whales has ended for this year. The common minke whale is the...

Japan set to resume commercial whaling

Reports from Japan suggest that the government they will formally propose plans to resume commercial...

End the whale hunts! Icelandic fin whaler isolated as public mood shifts

Here’s a sight I hoped never again to witness. A boat being scrubbed and repainted...

Australian Government to block Japanese whaling proposal

Japanese Government officials have reportedly confirmed that they will propose the resumption of commercial whaling...

Did Icelandic whalers really kill a blue whale?

*Warning - this blog contains an image that you may find upsetting* They say a...

Icelandic whalers breach international law and kill iconic, protected whale by mistake

Icelandic whalers out hunting fin whales for the first time in three years appear to...

Pregnant whales once again a target for Japanese whalers

Figures from Japan's whaling expedition to Antarctica during the 2017/18 austral summer have revealed that...

Doubts remain after Icelandic Marine Institute claims slaughtered whale was a hybrid not a blue

Experts remain sceptical of initial test results issued by the Icelandic Marine Institute, which indicate...

Icelandic fin whale hunting to resume

Iceland’s only fin whaling company, Hvalur hf,  announced today that it will resume fin whaling...

Norway increases whaling quota despite declining demand

Norway's government has announced an increase in the number of minke whales that can be...

Norway's whaling season begins

April 1st saw the start of the whaling season in Norway. Despite a widely-accepted international moratorium...

Must do better. Report critical of marine protection in Wales

After a six month inquiry into the management of protect sea areas in Wales, the Welsh government’s Climate Change, Environment & Rural Affairs (CCERA) Committee has today published a report stressing that more needs to be done, and quickly, to protect marine wildlife in the region.

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are areas of sea which provide much needed protection for nationally and internationally important marine wildlife and the habitats which they use. They include feeding and breeding areas for many seabirds and sites for Wales’ smallest marine mammal, the harbour porpoise.

 

Over half of Wales’s marine areas are protected in some form, demonstrating its importance for marine life. However, the Committee’s report concludes that “in many instances, the designation of MPAs in Welsh waters has not equated to protection or translated into management.”

The report concludes that the condition of MPAs in Welsh seas must be addressed as a “matter of urgency”. One of the key recommendations from the report is for a new ‘MPA strategy’ which would provide better direction and help to ensure that public authorities are fulfilling their management responsibilities. The report also provides recommendations to address the lack of funding for these special sites.

It is now hoped that the findings of this report will be taken into consideration when the new National Marine Plan for Whales is launched before the end of 2017.  That plan, and the issues raised by this report are made more relevant as the UK moves towards Brexit. All but one of Wales’ current MPAs have been designated under the EU Habitats and Birds Directive and so it is seen as vital that protection for species like the harbour porpoise are not weakened  after leaving the European Union.

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, WDC works with governments, international bodies, local communities scientists and other stakeholders to locate, design and implement protected areas in the places whales and dolphins need them most. We will do whatever is needed to protect the oceans. Help by donating now.