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Dolphins captured for captivity in Taiji. Image: Hans Peter Roth

Loved and killed – whales and dolphins in Japan

Protests and criticism from outside Japan in response to the slaughter of whales and dolphins...
Narwhal with beluga whales

Unusual Whale Adoptions

Kidzone - quick links Fun Facts Curious kids Blogs Fantastic fundraisers Gallery Splish and Splash...
Irrawaddy dolphin

Helping fishers protect dolphins in Sarawak, Borneo

Fishing nets are bad news for dolphins and porpoises, so we're working with local fishers...
Dolphin watching from Chanonry Point, Scotland. Image: WDC/Charlie Phillips

Discovering inner peace – whale and dolphin watching and mental wellbeing

Guest blog If you've ever seen whales or dolphins in the wild, you'll know that...
Whale tail

An ocean of hope

In a monumental, jaw-dropping demonstration of global community, the nations of the world made history...
North Atlantic right whale Porcia and her calf.

Critically Endangered Right Whale Babies Spotted

Kidzone - quick links Fun Facts Curious kids Blogs Fantastic fundraisers Gallery Splish and Splash...
The infamous killing cove at Taiji, Japan

Why the Taiji dolphin hunt can never be justified

Supporters of the dolphin slaughter in Japan argue that killing a few hundred dolphins every...
Image: Peter Linforth

Tracking whales from space will help us save them

Satellite technology holds one of the keys to 21st century whale conservation, so we're exploring...

A Major Win for Right Whales

In the North American office of WDC, we have spent the last year focused on The Act Right Now campaign, the goal of which was to ensure federal protections for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.  Specifically, the Federal Ship Strike Rule (which was established in 2008 and requires large ships to slow down in the known habitats of right whales), which was set to expire this coming Monday (December 9th ).  Research showed that in the 5 years since it was enacted, this rule was key in reducing the number of right whales killed from vessel strikes by up to 90%.  For a species on the brink of extinction, this rule was a glimmer of hope; an opportunity for the population to grow and survive for future generations.  We couldn’t let that rule expire and risk losing the right whale forever. At least, not without a fight. 

So we called on all of our supporters, our cities and towns, friends and partnering organizations to help join this fight. Through Act Right Now, WDC submitted more than half of the 145,000 comments received, asking the National Marine Fisheries Service to extend this rule indefinitely. 

Today we are elated to announce that all our this work has paid off! The Ship Strike Rule has been extended- and this time, there is no further sunset clause.  Right whales can look forward to the protection of this regulation until their numbers are plentiful and their species no longer require such protections.

We are thrilled that policy makers have come to defense of the North Atlantic right whale and have acted to protect this critically endangered species.  The extension of the Ship Strike Rule speaks to our nation’s priorities and values and I am prouder today to be an American citizen.

Thanks to all of the people who joined the campaign – either through a signature, a donation, a comment submitted to NOAA or just talking about this issue with friends and family- today we can celebrate the survival of the North Atlantic right whale!

CLICK HERE to read the news story