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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...

Florida Orca Protection Act introduced in Florida State House

The Florida Orca Protection Act, which would provide certain legal protections to orcas held in captivity in the state of Florida, has been officially introduced to the Florida House of Representatives.   Modeled after the California Orca Protection Act, signed into law in September of 2016, the Florida bill would reinforce a ban on captive orca performances and breeding programs in the state.

“The Florida Orca Protection Act ensures that SeaWorld is held to its promise to end orca captivity and extends these important protections to other captive-held orcas in Florida,” says Colleen Weiler, WDC’s Rekos Fellow for Orca Conservation. “This is an amazing first step to ending orca captivity in Florida, and we look forward to working with our partners to make sure this bill becomes law.”

After intense public pressure, declining ticket sales, and falling share prices following the release of the 2013 documentary Blackfish, SeaWorld pledged to end captive breeding and phase out the use of orcas for entertainment in their U.S. facilities.  The California and Florida laws aim to make these protections legal requirements, and also prevent the transport of orcas overseas or any future marine parks from holding orcas captive.  The Florida bill would also protect captive Southern Resident orca Tokitae (Lolita), held at the Miami Seaquarium.

After several high-profile deaths at SeaWorld facilities in 2017, including Tilikum, the subject of Blackfish, and Kyara, the last orca born at SeaWorld, there are now 23 captive orcas in North America.