Japan is using scientific research as an excuse to conduct commercial whaling in defiance of an international ban, Australia said on Wednesday at the start of a landmark legal bid to put a permanent end to the annual slaughter of almost 1,000 whales in the Southern Ocean. Australia, with the support of New Zealand, has […]
Tag: Whale
Destructive Fishing Gear Kills 400K+ Seabirds per Year
“Walls of death.” Gillnets have often been described in this haunting way due to their devastating ability to catch all kinds of fish, as well as sea turtles, seals, dolphins, and even whales. Marine creatures of all sizes and species are indiscriminately snared and drowned in these death traps, and a recent report reveals that […]
Iceland’s fin whales are endangered. Stop this bloody cull
Last night, Hvalur 8 and 9, two whaling vessels owned by millionaire entrepreneur Kristjan Loftsson, left Reykjavik harbour in Iceland, bound on a north-westerly course for the open Atlantic. Hvalur 8 was last logged at 64 degrees latitude, 23 degrees longitude before it went out of range of commercially available data. Together with its sister […]
Why endangered species need conservation champions
Without heroic conservationists many of today’s most beloved species would be extinct: think of pandas, tigers, and elephants. By single-mindly focused on saving a particular species, these conservation champions bring much-needed research, publicity, and, most importantly, targeted actions to keep an imperiled animal from the brink. Through their own exuberance, these heroes also gather others […]
Mexico approves measure to save world’s rarest marine mammal
The government of Mexico has taken a decisive step to save the vaquita – a porpoise threatened by extinction – and to promote sustainable fisheries in the upper Gulf of California for the benefit of fishers and their families, says WWF-Mexico. The new regulation, called an official norm, comes after over 38,000 people from 127 […]
Sea-kayaking with a minke whale – in pictures
While sea-kayaking in Neko Harbour in the Antarctic peninsula, Andrew Peacock captured an extraordinary sight: an inquisitive minke whale passing within arm’s-reach of the flotilla of kayaks. Best of all, he managed to capture the moment on camera. This article was written by Jonny Weeks for the Guardian UK.
Japanese firm stops selling endangered whale pet treats
A Japanese firm has stopped selling luxury pet food made from endangered fin whales, following a campaign by conservation groups. Michinoku Farm, based in Saitama prefecture, north of Tokyo, had advertised jerky-like snacks for dogs made from North Atlantic fin whales imported from Iceland. The treats were removed from its website hours after protests from […]
Disabled Killer Whale Survives with Help from Its Pod
In one of those incredible-but-true stories that makes you want to give the oceans a giant hug, a disabled killer whale missing two of its fins and unable to hunt to feed itself is able to survive through the help of its family. The young male killer whale, or orca, has no dorsal fin or […]