Posts by nicola.hodgins
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 the Faroe Islands. Although they are complicit in the deaths of many thousands of individuals, they are sadly and probably surprisingly, not the worst offenders. I knew that dolphins and small whales were being hunted in many countries all over…
Read MoreTaiji – another season of slaughter as marine park links grow stronger
Life as a small whale or dolphin can be precarious at the best of times, but off the coast of Japan they face a sinister threat – the fishermen of Taiji. If they’re caught up in the maelstrom of one of the infamous ‘drive hunts’ the outcome is unlikely to be a good one. They’ll…
Read MoreWhat prospects for whales, dolphins and porpoises in 2018?
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the world’s main authority on the conservation status of species. Its ‘Red List of Threatened Species’ – known as ‘The Red List’ – is the most comprehensive inventory we have of species at risk. The Red List divides these species into various classes from ‘Data Deficient’…
Read MoreMore bad news as two humpback dolphin species are elevated to Endangered and Critically Endangered status!
Just the other day i blogged about how, as a direct result of bycatch, the IUCN had uplisted both the Irrawaddy dolphin and the finless porpoise to Endangered status. I thought that was depressing enough but more bad news was to follow with the elevation of Atlantic humpback dolphins to Critically Endangered status and Indian…
Read MoreBycatch responsible for two more species being placed on the Endangered List!
Unfortunately, 2017 is not turning out to be a great year for whales, dolphins and porpoises with the numbers of some species dropping to worrying levels. Added to the list of “endangered” species by the IUCN are the Irrawaddy dolphin and the finless porpoise both having had their numbers more than halved over the last…
Read MoreEaten to extinction?
Will you make a donation to help us stop dolphins being killed for meat? Thank you. The plight of the large whales at the hands of commercial whalers both historically and currently, is well documented. As a result of intensive and unregulated hunting, population figures plummeted, some even went extinct (the north east Atlantic population…
Read MoreConserving Migratory Species
Some species of whales and dolphins can migrate many thousands of miles, travelling through the national waters of a number of different countries to get to their destinations. Others can live their lives more locally in the national waters of more than one country – take for example a dolphin in the Mediterranean Sea, in…
Read MoreSo long and thanks for all the fins! – Isle of Lewis Research Blog
Time has flown and it’s almost time to say farewell to the Isle of Lewis and all the whales, dolphins and porpoises who call these waters home. Although it’s been a bit of a mixed bag weather wise, we’ve managed to get out on the water a surprising amount of times and every time been…
Read MoreFamine or Feast – Isle of Lewis Research Blog
It was a slow start to this seasons fieldwork here on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. High winds (at this time of year the remnants from the various hurricanes battering the Caribbean and USA) and lots of rain kept us on land and indoors for the first week however patience, being a…
Read MoreWhy are beached whales taken to landfill?
The sight of any beached whale or dolphin can be really distressing for onlookers, even for scientists like me who visit strandings on a regular basis. After watching the ‘whale fall’ experiment on Britain’s Whales on ITV, many of supporters were asking why stranded whales are often taken to landfill rather than being placed to…
Read More