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Dominica announces new protections for sperm whales

Dominica has placed almost 800 square kilometers of sea off the west coast of the...
Commerson's dolphin

New Important Marine Mammal Areas added to global ocean conservation list

Commerson's dolphin Experts from a number of countries have mapped out a new set of...
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...
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  • 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...

Canada to ban capture of whales and dolphins

The Canadian government is to ban the capture of wild whales, dolphins and porpoises for theme parks as part a reforms to its fisheries legislation.

The Senate bill will prohibit live imports as well as the import of sperm, tissue or an embryo of any of these marine mammals.

There has been no live-capture of cetaceans for captivity in Canada since 1992. In recent years, however, wild-caught beluga whales and bottlenose dolphins have been imported for use in marine parks from foreign sources.

The Canadian government’s actions come as the move to end captivity around the world gathers pace in the wake of a backlash caused by the success of the documentary film, Blackfish, released in 2013.

“The public acceptance of keeping these majestic creatures in captivity has changed and we think the law should also change to reflect that,” says Fisheries Minister, Dominic LeBlanc. “We think Canadians massively support that principle.”

There are only two facilities in Canada, Marineland and the Vancouver Aquarium, that currently hold whales and dolphins for entertainment. The Vancouver Aquarium recently said it would no longer display whales or dolphins  at its facility as protests over captivity have become a “distraction” for the business. The Aquarium also said it will not take injured or rescued whales and dolphins whereas the Canadian government’s new legislation will allow exemptions for injured individuals and those requiring rehabilitation.

WDC is working to establish a sanctuary for beluga whales held in captivity – read more.

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