Posts by Vanessa Williams-Grey
The whale trappers are back with their cruel experiment
Anyone walking past my window might have heard my groan of disbelief at the news that, against all logic – rather like a bad Netflix series that has somehow been commissioned for a second season – the ‘minke whale trappers’ are back with their nets to have another go this summer! Starting tomorrow and despite…
Read MoreIs this the beginning of the end for whaling off Iceland?
I’m feeling cautiously optimistic after Iceland’s Fisheries Minister Svandís Svavarsdóttir wrote that there is little justification for authorising any further whaling when the current permits expire in 2023. Stating unequivocally that ‘it must be shown that it is economically justifiable to renew fishing rights’, Svandís reminds readers that whaling has damaged Iceland’s reputation and negatively…
Read MoreOutrage as Norway’s government says its whalers are ‘essential workers’
If you are able to help with a donation it would mean the world right now: Yes, I’ll donate I’m writing from my desk in the corner of my dining room, where I’m hot desking most days with my 12 year-old son. His school has been closed for several weeks and I’m juggling home schooling…
Read MoreHow we’re tackling whaling in Norway
We’re helping to spearhead a campaign – supported by an international coalition of almost 40 conservation and animal welfare organisations – calling on airlines flying between Norway and Japan to pledge not to carry or promote whale meat. Appetite for whale meat is dwindling. Fewer people in whaling countries want to eat it and so…
Read MoreHope springs eternal for an end to whaling in Iceland
As January morphs into February, my pleasure at the prospect of lengthening days and the return of spring is normally tempered by a dull gnawing in the pit of my stomach as this is also the time of year when Icelandic whalers confirm their intention to hunt whales in the coming season. This year, however,…
Read MoreIcelandic fin whales win a reprieve this summer
I can’t tell you how delighted I am at the news that fin whales will swim in peace off Iceland – this summer at least. Last summer’s whaling season was particularly chaotic and distressing as the whalers killed 146 fin whales, including two rare blue whale/fin whale hybrids, and numerous pregnant females. A majestic fin…
Read MoreParadise lost? Extraordinary encounters with sperm whales
A magical sperm whale encounter © Andrew Sutton One morning back in 2015, in an ocean devoid of other vessels for at least a mile in every direction, I had an astounding encounter with a veritable armada of sperm whales. I was off the coast of northwest Sri Lanka with colleagues including WDC ambassador and…
Read More'What do we want? TO SAVE THE WHALES! When do we want it? NOW!'
Last Saturday, I marched shoulder to shoulder with WDC colleagues as we braved the January cold to protest in central London with hundreds of like-minded people. The air rang with voices, accompanied by a merry cacophony of whistles, drums and tambourines as we headed along Regent Street, past Hamleys, through Piccadilly Circus and past The…
Read MoreThink twice before booking a luxury ‘snorkel with whales’ safari
Daydreaming about escaping the British winter for sunshine and adventure? If so, you are far from alone! Inevitably, as the nights draw in, many of us start to plan either an escape to the sun, or at the very least, a winter adventure. Often the ocean, like a talisman, beckons. Whale watching is, of course,…
Read MoreDid Icelandic whalers really kill a blue whale?
*Warning – this blog contains an image that you may find upsetting* They say a week is a long time in politics. Well it also feels a long time in whale conservation! A great deal has happened since we circulated a press release on July 11 which stated that Icelandic whalers, out hunting fin whales…
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