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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...

Court denies appeal for Lolita, still held captive in Florida

Sadly, despite a plea from U.S. celebrity and well-known advocate Bob Barker to retire Tokitae (Lolita) to a seaside sanctuary, an appeals court ruling has blocked the latest effort to Free Lolita.  The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined that the Miami Seaquarium’s undersized tank, lack of social companions, and inadequate treatment was not violating the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).  

Tokitae is the last surviving Southern Resident orca in captivity.  She is from a unique population now listed as endangered, in large part due to the lasting impacts of the live capture industry, which removed approximately 40% of the population during the 1960s and 70s.  Protection from harm and harassment under the ESA was extended to Tokitae in 2015 when she was legally added to her family’s listing.  Efforts to secure her retirement to a sanctuary using these additional protections have been ongoing since then.