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Japanese whaling ship

Infamous whale slaughter ship docks for the final time

The whaling ship, Nisshin Maru has returned to the port of Shimonoseki for the final...
Sperm whale

Dominica announces new protections for sperm whales

Dominica has placed almost 800 square kilometers of sea off the west coast of the...
Porpoise dies after becoming entangled in fishing net

UK government rejects chance to protect whales and dolphins

The government has formally rejected almost all of the crucial recommendations made in a House...
Common dolphins © Christopher Swann

Ocean areas selected for conservation are now in danger says task force

The international task force celebrating 10 years of work mapping out Important Marine Mammal Areas...

River dolphin killed by poachers in India

A rare Ganges river dolphin (also known as the South Asian river dolphin or susu) has reportedly been killed by poachers in a canal in Uttar Pradesh, India.

The poachers removed the dolphin and took it back to their village. Local authorities have subsequently arrested one person in connection with the incident.

The Ganges river dolphin is facing numerous threats to its future survival, such as habitat destruction, entanglement in fishing gear and pollution. The deliberate hunting of dolphins has reduced in recent years but they are still taken because of the value of their oil in traditional medicines, as bait, and for food.

The current population has dropped to around 4,000 across its home range in the major river systems of India, Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

River dolphins are amongst the most endangered of all dolphin species. The baiji, found in the Yangtze River in China, was declared extinct during the early part of this century, while the Amazon River dolphin is also under threat, as highlighted in WDC’s recent campaign to stop the illegal hunting of these dolphins in Brazil.

About George Berry

George is a member of WDC's Communications team and website coordinator.