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New government marine wildlife code to help reduce dolphin disturbance

The launch today by UK Government of new guidance on how to act responsibly around...

UK government to extend ivory ban to stop the sale of orca teeth

Following the UK ban on the import, export and dealing of elephant ivory in 2022,...

Dead whale beauty products to be sold in Japanese vending machine stores

Antarctic minke whale alongside Japanese whaling ship. Photo © Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert Japanese whale hunting company,...

Arrests made following illegal whale meat smuggling from Japan to South Korea

Customs authorities in Busan, South Korea, have arrested six people for allegedly smuggling at least...

Atlantic whale sanctuary blocked by whaling supporters

A plan to designate a vast swathe of the South Atlantic a whale sanctuary has not been approved after the proposal failed to get enough votes in favour at the current meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Under the IWC’s voting rules, the proposal needed a three-quarters majority to be passed and despite a majority of countries voting positively it was not enough.

The sanctuary proposal had been put forward by a number of countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Gabon, Uruguay and South Africa. However, Japan and other whaling countries such as Norway and Iceland, opposed the proposal, along by a number of smaller countries, many of whom have historically supported Japan’s position at the IWC. Find our who was in favour and against the sanctuary.

“We knew that it would probably not get the support – but it is still very disappointing,” Astrid Fuchs, head of WDC’s Stop Whaling Program, attending the meeting in Slovenia.

Find out the latest from the IWC and more about whaling.

About George Berry

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