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New investigation – Yahoo! Japan selling toxic whale meat
WDC has joined an international coalition of environmental groups is calling on Yahoo! Japan and its parent company, the LY Corporation, to stop selling products containing whale and dolphin meat after a new investigation found high levels of toxins in some of the nearly 1,000 related food items available for purchase on the massive search…
Over 200 pilot whales killed in the Faroe Islands
The mass slaughter of at least 245 long-finned pilot whales has taken place in Leynar, Faroe Islands. Among those killed were 25 pregnant females and 13 juveniles, with the entire, cruel process taking approximately 30 minutes. Each year over 100,000 dolphins and small whales are killed in hunts across the globe but the Grind (hunt)…
What whale and dolphin research takes place in Japan?
My recent visit to Okinawa showed me a side of Japan that’s often overlooked. While the country is frequently associated with whaling, I found myself surrounded by people working to restore humpback whale populations in the waters nearby. It was a powerful reminder that Japan is home to many inspiring individuals deeply committed to celebrating and protecting whales and dolphins.
Eager to meet more likeminded individuals, I visited Osaka to speak with dolphin researcher Leanne Rosser.
UK government considers wider ban on destructive fishing method
After mounting pressure to take action against destructive bottom trawling, the UK government has announced that it will consider extending a ban on this type of fishing in some protected areas in English waters. The decision comes as our WDC team prepare to take part in the UN Ocean Conference that takes place in France…
What is ghost gear?
Ghost gear is scary. It’s the name given to fishing nets and ropes that have been lost or abandoned at sea and are not under the control of a fisher anymore. They drift, untethered, silent and often unseen, a deadly menace to whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles, seabirds and other marine life.
It’s time to make the UK ghost gear free.
Man sentenced for shooting dolphins
A man in Florida, US has been imprisoned for 30 days and ordered to pay a $51,000 fine for shooting and poisoning dolphins. Authorities brought the case against Zackery Barfield a licensed charter vessel owner after it was claimed he tried to kill dolphins on numerous occasions from 2022-2023, violating the US Marine Mammal Protection…
Whales are helping each other to break free from fishing gear
A new study from researchers at California State University, and other specialists has documented whales trying to help companions when they become entangled in fishing gear. Whilst at sea, the research team had observed strange behaviour from a couple of whales, one of whom was caught in a fishing line. The adult humpback was repeatedly…
How does your support help whales and dolphins in Scotland?
At the end of April, you helped raise over £60,000 to restore the seas around Scotland to the safe haven for whales and dolphins they once were. As WDC’s adopt a dolphin field officer, I spend my days on or near these waters, and I want to share what your incredible support for Scottish seas means to me
Whale safety concerns over toxic leaks in Isle of Man
Aerial photo of Peel Castle on the Isle Of Man The Isle of Man government has been forced to defend its commitment to environmental protection, and to maintaining the region’s Unesco biosphere reserve status after admitting that landfill sites on the Island are still discharging hazardous chemical contaminants into the sea, which cause harm to…
