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20230202_132407

Whale and Dolphin Conservation partners with local artist for art auction

PLYMOUTH, MA - Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) has partnered with local artist Erik Simmons...
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e.l.f. Cosmetics announces new “porpoise-ful” initiative to benefit Whale and Dolphin Conservation

For Immediate Release, March 16, 2023 OAKLAND, CA - On the fins of its first...

Kiska the ‘world’s loneliest whale’ dies at Canadian theme park

Kiska, dubbed the loneliest whale in the world, has died at Marineland, a zoo and...
Grey seal is released from the kennel on the ocean side of Duxbury Beach

Why did the seal cross the road? WDC responds to a grey seal near Gurnet Point in Plymouth, MA

Grey seal is released from the kennel on the ocean side of Duxbury Beach For...
All policy news
  • All policy news
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Prevent bycatch
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Stop whaling
  • Strandings

Whale culture should play a part in their conservation says new international study

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Preparations for beluga whale move to Iceland continue

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Norway’s whaling future uncertain after survey shows little domestic appetite for whale meat

The future of Norway’s whaling industry appears to be in serious doubt as it struggles...
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Moving in the wrong direction: new application would bring belugas to US marine parks

Earlier this year, WDC celebrated the passage of a landmark law to ban whale and...

Financial worth of whales revealed

http://us.whales.org/2019/09/27/financial-worth-of-whales-revealed/
Two beautiful Hector's dolphins leap just off new Zealand's coast. © Mike Bossley

Significant 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! This...
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Positive whaling news emerges from Iceland

News is emerging from Iceland that the company behind Iceland’s fin whale hunts, Hvalur hf,...

WDC 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...

WDC 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,...

Significant Victory for WDC in Fight to Save World’s Smallest Dolphins

Two beautiful Hector's dolphins leap just off new Zealand's coast. © Mike Bossley

A significant victory in the fight to save dolphins in New Zealand from extinction! This comes in the form of stricter fishing and environmental protections for the critically endangered Māui and endangered Hector’s dolphins that have been sanctioned by the government.

This gives the Māui and Hector’s a fighting chance of survival and comes after a long campaign by WDC.

Hector's and Māui dolphins are the smallest dolphins in the world. They live only around New Zealand and death in nets has driven them closer to a point where we would lose these species forever. Their numbers began plummeting in the 1970s, as the use of plastic nylon netting rapidly expanded around New Zealand.

There are fewer than 60 Māui dolphins left and Hector's have been reduced to less than 25% of their former numbers.

WDC congratulates the New Zealand government for its decision to put in place stricter fishing and environmental protections for these endangered dolphins.

Mike Bossley from WDC said:  ‘This is a big win for dolphins and for New Zealand’s reputation as a green nation.  WDC has campaigned for Māui and Hector’s dolphins for over twenty years and, while this decision doesn’t go as far as we had hoped, it is a big leap forward.  This eleventh-hour reprieve gives the Māui dolphin a fighting chance to come back the brink of extinction.'

‘More than 60,000 WDC supporters petitioned for these protections and we are delighted that the coalition government of Jacinda Ardern has listened.  We are especially pleased to see the protection of the sea around the top of the South Island, a decision backed up by data collected by members of the public using WDC’s dolphin sightings app.  This is a huge vote of confidence in the value of citizen science.’

While WDC welcomes the good news, we will continue to work hard to lower the risks these dolphins still face.

A big 'thank you' to all of our supporters who have helped with this campaign so far.

Please donate to help us continue to fight to protect these small dolphins and give them a bright future!

One of the best ways you can help whales and dolphins is to share the good news!

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