Posts by Danny Groves
WDC joins US network to help rescue whales and dolphins
Goods news for whales and dolphins in the US. WDC’s team there has officially joined the Marine Mammal Stranding Network and is now authorised to respond to strandings along a section of the Massachusetts coastline, helping efforts to save marine mammals that may get into difficulties and wash up on the shoreline there. Thousands of…
Read MoreSuccess! Court stops US government attempt to block whale protection lawsuit
A federal court in the US has dismissed attempts by Joe Biden’s administration to halt a lawsuit against the government filed by WDC and other groups, which seeks to create stronger rules to protect rare North Atlantic right whales from collisions with ships. Together with Defenders of Wildlife, Humane Society of the US, Center for Biological Diversity…
Read MoreMore good news for WDC’s End Captivity tour operators campaign
WDC’s ongoing campaign asking tour operators not to promote cruel whale and dolphin captivity shows received another boost following the news that travel giant Expedia has become the latest company to ban the sale of holidays involving dolphins and whales. In a statement, Expedia announced that ‘attractions and activities that involve performances by, or interactions with…
Read MoreOver 570 whales killed during 2021 hunts in Norway
The highest number of whales killed in Norway since 2016 has been announced just as WDC and partners have released the findings of a new poll showing that most Norwegians don’t want to eat whale meat, and have serious welfare concerns with the hunt. Despite low demand for whale meat Norwegian whalers killed the highest…
Read MoreSouth Korea to get tougher on sale of whale meat
South Korea has toughened existing regulations on the commercial sale of whale and whale products as part of efforts to curb illegal whale hunting activities in local waters. Police in South Korea have frequently caught poachers involved in illegal minke whale hunting that is driven by the vast sums of money that the meat fetches,…
Read MoreAnimal culture crucial for conservation says new research paper
New research published today in The Royal Society Journal Proceedings B creates a compelling case for integrating the social learning and culture of creatures like whales into decision-making. WDC’s Philippa Brakes, together with a number of experts working on a wide range of species, from whales to chimpanzees, argues in the new paper that the…
Read MoreCan space technology tell us how many whales there are?
One of the world’s leading professional services firms, Deloitte has joined with WDC in a bid to explore how space technology can tell us more about whales, and how to protect them. This exciting project is part of Deloitte’s Gravity Challenge, a global programme that encourages corporates, entrepreneurs and universities to use innovative space technology to…
Read MoreCaptivity ‘done and dusted’ in Australian state
Officials in New South Wales (NSW), Australia have announced that captive dolphins will no longer be commercially bred or imported into the State. The new regulations were introduced by NSW environment minister Matt Kean and followed a public enquiry into captive dolphin shows and facilities, dolphin parks and circuses, and will see dolphin shows disappear.…
Read MoreNorway’s government allows hunters to kill over 1200 whales this year
Norway has announced that its whalers can once again kill up to 1,278 whales this year (the same quota number as 2020). Norway’s government allows the minke whale hunts to go ahead under an ‘objection’ to the global ban on commercial whaling, and whalers continue to carry out this slaughter despite falling demand for whale…
Read MoreCuts in government funds to hit Japanese whale hunt industry
Reports in Japan suggest the whaling industry there is facing increasing challenges just a few years after the country withdrew from the International Whaling Commission (IWC – the global body that regulates whaling) and resumed hunting whales for commercial profit. Previously, Japan had slaughtered whales under the guise of ‘research’, even though next to nothing…
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