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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...

Dolphins in New Zealand listed on US Endangered Species Act

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has agreed to list the Maui Dolphin as Endangered and the South Island Hector’s dolphin as Threatened on the US Endangered Species Act on October 19th.

Consultation on the proposal took place last year and WDC was one of the organizations that wrote in support while at the same time highlighting the ongoing and emerging threats to the two species from activities such as the potential offshore expansion of renewable energy facilities. 

Bycatch is currently the major threat to both species and with fewer than 50 Maui dolphins remaining they could become extinct within the next 15 years.

The US Endangered Species Act (ESA) provides for the listing of species outside US boundaries as a mechanism to ensure that US trade and US citizens do not contribute to the further decline of an imperiled species. The ESA allows for international consultations and can provide a mechanism for supporting the conservation for global species.  Sadly, this landmark legislation has been under attack by some in Congress and the current US Administration. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, at least 46 bills have been proposed in Congress, just this year, aimed at weakening the ESA.  As part of a coalition of US conservation and animal welfare groups,  WDC is working to maintain the protections afforded to species by the ESA and the US Marine Mammal Protection Act. 

Read the final ruling on the Federal Register and WDC’s comments on the proposal.