Scientific Committee gives first ever official species extinction warning
Photo: Thomas Jefferson We have welcomed the urgent call by experts to protect the vaquita porpoise following the first-ever official warning of the imminent extinction of a species by the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). The IWC is the global body that regulates whale hunting, and conservation of whales, dolphins, and porpoises.…
Read MoreWDC 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, have signed on to an open letter calling for action to urgently address the precarious situation of many populations of whales, dolphins and porpoises, (collectively ‘cetaceans’) many of which face extinction threats due to harmful human activity such as incidental…
Read MoreWDC 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 caught in fishing nets without having negative effects on their everyday behaviour. Newly published research part funded by WDC shows that porpoises in the seas off Cornwall were 37% less likely to be found close to an active pinger. Pingers…
Read MoreSignificant 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 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…
Read MoreRare right whale song recorded for first time
Researchers in Alaska have documented the song of the North Pacific right whale. Most people know that humpback whales sing to each other, but now it turns out right whales have their own special songs as well. For the first time, marine biologists have recorded singing by the North Pacific right whale – one of…
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