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Amazon river dolphins leaping

Endangered river dolphins die in Amazon drought

Over 100 endangered pink river dolphins have died in an area of the Amazon over...
Fin whale

Short and cruel hunt season ends in Iceland

The shortened Icelandic fin whale hunts season has finished with a final total of 23...
Bottlenose dolphins breaching

Landmark report reveals UK wildlife’s devastating decline

With whales and dolphins already facing many threats, a landmark report released this week reveals...
Dolphins with oil rig

Go ahead for new UK oil and gas exploration threatens whales and dolphins

Permission has been granted for the development of the UK's biggest untapped oilfield off Shetland,...
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  • All policy news
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Prevent deaths in nets
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Sperm whale © Douglas Hoffman

Featured policy news item

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nunc magna elit, gravida at lectus vitae,...
sea_world_orlando_rob_lott

Holiday giant Thomas Cook stops selling tickets to Seaworld and Loro Parque

Holiday giant Thomas Cook stops selling tickets to Seaworld and Loro Parque Following a three...

Endangered Southern Resident orca loses newborn calf

In heartbreaking news from the Pacific Northwest, the Center for Whale Research has reported that...
srkw_shoup_2003_text

U.S. Defense Bill weakens protections for whales

24 July 2018, Plymouth, MA: The FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act conference report was released...
All news
  • All news
  • About whales & dolphins
  • Corporates
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Green Whale
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Scottish Dolphin Centre
  • Stop whaling
  • Stranding
  • Whale watching
Amazon river dolphins leaping

Endangered river dolphins die in Amazon drought

Over 100 endangered pink river dolphins have died in an area of the Amazon over...
Fin whale

Short and cruel hunt season ends in Iceland

The shortened Icelandic fin whale hunts season has finished with a final total of 23...
Bottlenose dolphins breaching

Landmark report reveals UK wildlife’s devastating decline

With whales and dolphins already facing many threats, a landmark report released this week reveals...
Dolphins with oil rig

Go ahead for new UK oil and gas exploration threatens whales and dolphins

Permission has been granted for the development of the UK's biggest untapped oilfield off Shetland,...
All policy news
  • All policy news
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Stop whaling
  • Strandings
Sperm whale © Douglas Hoffman

Featured policy news item

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nunc magna elit, gravida at lectus vitae,...
sea_world_orlando_rob_lott

Holiday giant Thomas Cook stops selling tickets to Seaworld and Loro Parque

Holiday giant Thomas Cook stops selling tickets to Seaworld and Loro Parque Following a three...

Endangered Southern Resident orca loses newborn calf

In heartbreaking news from the Pacific Northwest, the Center for Whale Research has reported that...
srkw_shoup_2003_text

U.S. Defense Bill weakens protections for whales

24 July 2018, Plymouth, MA: The FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act conference report was released...

EU says Japan's whaling won't stop trade deal

In October 2016, WDC and Care2 represented almost 270,000 EU citizens when we submitted a petition to the European Parliament. The petition called on the EU to raise the issue of whaling in its trade negotiations with Japan and to say ‘no’ to a Free Trade Agreement while Japan kills whales.

In June last year, MEPs echoed our campaign and voted overwhelmingly in support of stronger EU measures against Japanese whaling.

We would like to say a big ‘thank you’ to those of you who added your voice to our campaign. 

The EU Commission has now considered our petition and has responded.  But, sadly, it has stated that Japan’s whale hunting will not be a factor in the trade deal negotiations.

This is not welcome news. The EU needs to demonstrate that it will use every opportunity to deliver on its public commitments to protect whales. If it doesn’t, the European public will have no choice but to assume that the EU’s conservation policies are trumped by economic imperatives.

On 31 March, 2017 the Japanese fleet returned from the Antarctic, having killed 333 minke whales – 178 females and 155 males.  After the outcry it sparked last year, the Japanese government hasn’t yet released figures on how many of them were pregnant but if we go by the 2016 figures then we can guess that well over 100 of the whales they killed could have been carrying a baby.

The Japanese whaling fleet will shortly start whaling in the North Pacific under a whaling programme condemned by the global community and unsanctioned by the International Whaling Commission (the body that regulates whaling).

According to recent media reports, the Japanese National Diet (parliament) will soon be debating a draft law on whaling, which is calling for ‘stable and continuous research whaling in order to resume commercial whaling and protect the Japanese whale meat food culture’. The Japanese government is also discussing the construction of a new industrial whaling ship.

Given this situation, WDC has written to the EU Commission to urge it to reconsider its position and raise the subject of whaling in the next round of trade talks with Japan.

If you’d like to support our campaign, please make a donation. Thank you.

About Julia Pix

Communications manager - Public Engagement