Humpback whale rescued from shark net in Australia
A humpback whale and her calf have managed to escape after becoming entangled in a shark net off the coast of Queensland.. Humpback whales spend the austral summer in Antarctica before migrating north during the winter months to breed and give birth in warmer waters. Their migration route takes them along the east or west…
Read MoreHalf a million net death petition handed to EU Commission
Over half a million citizens have signed a petition to demand action to stop thousands of dolphins dying in fishing nets (bycatch) in the Bay of Biscay. The petition has been handed over to European Commission Deputy Director General of DG Environment, Patrick Child, the French Director of Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Eric Banel, and…
Read MoreHumpback whale freed from rope entanglement by passing orcas
A strange incident involving a pod of orcas and an entangled humpback whale off the coast of western Australia has left experts scratching their heads. Observers from Whale Watch Western Australia captured drone footage of what appeared to be a number of orcas freeing a humpback whale from a discarded rope that had become wrapped…
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 MoreWDC scientists join call for global action to protect whales and dolphins from extinction
Scientists from Whale and Dolphin Conservation, along with over 250 other experts from 40 countries, have signed on to an open letter calling for action to urgently address the precarious situation of many populations of whales, dolphins and porpoises, (collectively ‘cetaceans’) many of which face extinction threats due to harmful human activity such as incidental…
Read MoreDarwin Initiative boosts whale and dolphin protection work in Senegal
WDC’s work to protect significant numbers of whales and dolphins dying in fishing nets and gear in Senegal, as well as other threats they face, has received a substantial Partnership Project funding boost from the Darwin Initiative. The Darwin Initiative is a UK government grants scheme that funds projects to protect biodiversity and the natural environment in developing…
Read MoreSignificant victory for WDC in fight to save world’s smallest dolphins
A significant victory in the fight to save dolphins in New Zealand from extinction has been achieved after stricter fishing and environmental protections for the critically endangered Māui and endangered Hector’s dolphins have been sanctioned by the government. The move comes after a long campaign by WDC and gives the Māui and Hector’s a fighting chance…
Read MoreWDC funded research shows ‘pingers’ could save porpoises from fishing nets
Underwater sound devices called ‘pingers’ could be an effective, long-term way to prevent porpoises getting caught in fishing nets without having negative effects on their everyday behaviour. Newly published research part funded by WDC shows that porpoises in the seas off Cornwall were 37% less likely to be found close to an active pinger. Pingers are…
Read More80,000 dolphins dying each year in Indian Ocean nets
A new report has revealed the shocking figures behind dolphin deaths in fishing nets in the Indian Ocean, suggesting that populations may have dropped by over 80% in recent decades. The study, led by Dr Charles Anderson of the Manta Marine organisation and published in the journal Endangered Species Research, paints a catastrophic picture, revealing…
Read MoreLost Sowerby’s beaked whale suffered slow and painful death
A female Sowerbys beaked whale found dead on a beach at Gullane, on the outskirts of Edinburgh must have suffered a painful and slow death say experts after a post mortem confirmed rope embedded deep into her skin and blubber, and severe dorsal fluke damage. The lost whale was first reported on Muirfield Beach on…
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