Skip to content
All articles
  • All articles
  • About whales & dolphins
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Fundraising
  • Green Whale
  • Prevent bycatch
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Stop whaling
Pilot whale

How we need to support Faroese communities to end the whale and dolphin hunts

By Hayley Flanagan | 09/28/2023
Hayley Flanagan Hayley is WDC's engagement officer, specializing in creating brilliant content for our website...
Harbour porpoise. Image: Charlie Phillips/WDC

Speaking up for the little guys – WDC in action

By Fabian Ritter | 09/19/2023
Whales and dolphins face so many dangers. These intelligent beings are crucial for the wellbeing...
Humpback whale fluke in Alaska.

An unforgettable first encounter – observing the whales we work to protect

By Ed Goodall | 09/12/2023
I have kept a dark secret since joining WDC back in June 2021. Despite my...

WDC in Japan – Part 2: Digital dolphins

By Katrin Matthes | 09/05/2023
Welcome to the second chapter of my incredible journey to build alliances in Japan. As...
Load More loader

Stop the River Dolphin Slaughter: WDC presents Brazilian Public Prosecution Service with 176,599 signatures

By Alison Wood | 04/13/2015

WDC is working with Rafael da Silva Rocha, of the Brazilian Public Prosecution Service, and other partners in Brazil to stop the brutal slaughter of Amazon River dolphins, known locally as ‘botos’. Thank you to everyone who signed our letter of support to Rafael. Our Brazilian colleague Sannie Brum (from the Piagacu Institute in Brazil) presented Rafael with 176,599 signatures along with messages of support for his work.  In some areas of the Brazilian Amazon, river dolphins are illegally killed and used as bait in the piracatinga fishery. 

Piracatinga is a type of catfish and a new law (January 2015) has been passed banning catching them commercially, but in areas as remote as these it will be incredibly hard to police and enforce. This deliberate killing is the biggest threat to river dolphins in Brazil. The new law banning of the commercail piracatinga fishery is an attempt to reduce the demand for boto carcasses. WDC is working with Sannie and the Piagacu Institute to develop projects that will engage local people in protecting the dolphins who share their Amazon home, and the support you have shown Rafael and others trying to make a difference is extremely important to their efforts.

Find out more about river dolphins.


Posted in Blogs & Articles and tagged