Skip to content
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

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...

Florida Orca Protection Act stalls in Florida legislature

We are disappointed to share the news that the Florida Orca Protection Act did not make it out of subcommittee in the State legislature, and will not move forward on its own in Florida this year.  Introduced in the Florida House of Representatives just a few weeks ago, the Florida bill would set into law SeaWorld’s pledges to phase out orca performances and end their captive breeding program.

Opposition lobbying by SeaWorld and the Florida Attractions Association, among other groups, likely prevented it from being scheduled for a hearing and a vote in the House Natural Resources and Public Lands Subcommittee. 

“This bill should not be controversial,” said Colleen Weiler, WDC’s Rekos Fellow for Orca Conservation.  “SeaWorld has already committed to enacting the policies laid out in the Florida Orca Protection Act – we simply want to see those policies turned into law.”

Legal protection in Florida would also extend to the only other orca held captive in Florida, Tokitae (Lolita), a member of the endangered Southern Resident orca community.  The law would also prevent the transport of orcas overseas and any future marine parks from holding orcas captive. 

WDC and our colleagues will continue our work to put an official end to captivity for orcas in Florida.  There are still 23 orcas held captive in North America, seven of which are in Florida.