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WDC2023-007 NMLC Release (16)

Seal Rescued in Marshfield Released Back Into The Wild

For Immediate Release, May 31, 2023 PLYMOUTH, MA - A young male grey seal that...

Norway ups whale kill numbers and removes whale welfare protections

The whaling season in Norway has begun on the back of disturbing announcements from the...
Image taken from an unmanned hexacopter at >100ft during a research collaboration between NOAA/SWFSC, SR3 and the Coastal Ocean Research Institute. Research authorized by NMFS permit #19091.

Southern Resident orca petition to list them under Oregon Endangered Species Act advanced

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission voted today to advance a petition seeking to protect...
Hysazu Photography

WDC and Conservation Partners Continue to Seek Oregon Endangered Species Protection for Southern Resident Orcas

On Friday, April 21st, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will determine whether the petition...

Fishermen blamed for dolphin shootings in Italy

Increasing incidents of dolphins washing up dead with gunshot wounds around the Italian coast are being linked to some local fishermen who blame the dolphins for poor fish and squid catches.

Despite the dolphins being officially protected, it is thought that a number of the fishermen have decided to take matters into their own hands and have been shooting dolphins with spear guns and rifles.

Bad feeling towards the dolphins is particularly high around the Aeolian Islands, which sit between Sicily and the Italian mainland. Analysis of the resident bottlenose dolphin population in the region shows that their numbers have not increased in the past 15 years. There are also a number of striped dolphins in the area.

The fishermen there say that the dolphins follow their boats and take the fish but over-fishing in the seas around the islands has also been cited as a possible cause, resulting in the dolphins hunting for prey closer to the fishing boats.

After the issue was raised in the Italian parliament this week, Raffaele Ranucci, a senator with the centre-left Democratic Party said: “We need to find solutions as quickly as possible that will combine respect for the environment and marine wildlife with the needs of the fishermen.”

Incidents of dolphins being shot at or speared have also been recorded in the US, particularly around the Gulf of Mexico.