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...

Success! Controversial plan for oil transfers between ships in important dolphin habitat dropped

A port authority in Scotland has announced that it is to drop plans to pursue a licence to transfer oil between ships in the Moray Firth.

Invergordon’s Port of Cromarty Firth announced it’s decision regarding the controversial plan after campaign groups, including WDC raised the issue of potential harm to wildlife in the area.

Ship-to-ship transfers involve one cargo ship moving crude oil or other petroleum products to another vessel while they are moored alongside.

The transfers at sea avoid the need for berthing charges but also mean that oil spills are a risk to dolphins, porpoises, minke whales, seals, seabirds and many other marine species that use the area. The proposed location within the Moray Firth Special Area of Conservation for bottlenose dolphins was something WDC fought to stop. Many people in the area were critical of the consultation process when the plans were first revealed in 2015, and WDC felt that the Cromarty Firth Port Authority’s assessment of environmental impacts of such a plan was inadequate and fell short of what is required under the EU Habitat Directive Regulations.

WDC provided campaigning support to well organised local community campaigns (Nairn Rising and Cromarty Rising) and we are delighted that oil transfers will not be allowed in the area.

Adopt a dolphin or donate today to help ensure a secure and safe future for these special creatures.