Posts Tagged ‘Boat traffic’
NASA satellites to help protect whales from space
Scientists in the US have announced the development of a new tool that they hope will lead to a reduction in the number of whale deaths caused by boat collisions and entanglement in fishing gear. The software tool, called “WhaleWatch”, has been developed by scientists and NASA and will be able to predict the most…
Read MoreRare whales may get protection after oil drilling go-ahead
A rare and unique population of Bryde’s whale that live in the Gulf of Mexico may be awarded greater protection after US authorities opened up a small area of their habitat in the DeSoto Canyon off the Florida Panhandle for oil drilling operations. Even though Bryde’s whales are found in tropical waters across the globe, this…
Read MoreNGOs critical of new advice to prevent corkscrew injuries in seals
WDC and 19 other concerned welfare and conservation organisations are concerned that changing advice to stop mitigation to prevent any seal corkscrew injuries (so-called because of their spiral-like appearance) from ships propellers is premature. We welcome the preliminary SMRU (Sea Mammal Research Unit) report, that clarifies that grey seal predation on the Isle of May…
Read MoreA sad day for a dolphin from Hong Kong
As most people are aware, the past few weeks have been touch and go for an injured Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (since named “Hope”) residing in the waters off of Hong Kong Island. The dolphin was spotted with serious cuts to its tail that some thought were inhibiting its natural behaviour and were unlikely to heal…
Read MoreSaving North Atlantic right whale habitats means saving the whales – Part 2
With only about 500 individuals the North Atlantic right whale remains on the endangered species list, even though there has been no whaling of this species since the mid-1900s. This was the first whale to be caught commercially, initially by the Basques beginning in the 11th Century. At least 5,500 right whales, and possibly twice…
Read MoreRight Whales in Cape Cod Bay During the Holidays – Ring Bells of Joy or Alarm?
This most recent holiday season in Cape Cod featured something extra-special: North Atlantic right whales. Originally depleted by whaling, the remaining 500 North Atlantic right whales struggle to recover as they face threats from vessel strikes, entanglements in fishing gear, and habitat loss. WDC has worked to protect this species from these threats and was…
Read MoreEuropean Commission pressures UK government to protect porpoises
WDC has welcomed the announcement from the European Commission that the UK government should make an urgent move to protect important harbour porpoise habitats in its waters. WDC has been calling on the UK and devolved governments to protect harbour porpoises for many years and, in 2013, provided the UK government with a report titled…
Read MoreAre whale watching boats the greatest collision threat to whales?
“Revealed: whale-watching boats the greatest collision threat to whales” — this big hype headline sadly comes from The Guardian which is normally more careful about reporting. Their subhead is no better: “Guardian Australia analysis of International Whaling Commission data shows motor yachts, naval vessels and ferries come close behind.” In fact, this database that the journalists…
Read MorePuget Sound orcas among most contaminated marine mammals on the planet
Scientist from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the US have revealed studies that show orcas (killer whales) in the waters around Puget Sound off the northwestern U.S. coast are among the most contaminated marine mammals, with pollutants particularly high in the youngest whales. This particular population of killer whales numbered more than 140 many years…
Read MoreBlue whale blues
Every whale death is a tragedy, but a dead blue whale is a big loss in every sense of the word. A young blue whale – its beauty and future potential cruelly extinguished – is arguably the greatest loss of all. I was really concerned, then, to hear a few days ago of another blue…
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