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
Common dolphin

WDC takes ‘A Walk in the Park…with Animal Friends’

Longstanding WDC partner Animal Friends returns with season two of their podcast 'A Walk in...
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...

WDC orca champion picks up award

Beatrice Whishart MSP picks up her Nature Champion award
Beatrice Whishart MSP picks up her Nature Champion award

The Scottish Environment LINK, an organisation that brings together groups in Scotland to protect and enhance wildlife, landscape and the marine environment, has announced its MSP Nature Champion of the Year.

The award has been shared this year by Jenni Minto is the MSP Nature Champion for Scotland’s Rainforest (working with Woodland Trust Scotland and Plantlife Scotland), and Beatrice Wishart, the MSP Nature Champion for Orca, working with us at Whale and Dolphin Conservation.

The award celebrates a Member of the Scottish Parliament who has made a notable contribution over the year to the protection and recovery of a species or habitat. It is given based on their public awareness-raising efforts, and their broader advocacy impact.

Having completed WDC’s Shorewatch training programme, Beatrice is now a citizen science volunteer trained to carry out regular ten-minute whale and dolphin surveys and log her sightings on the Shorewatch database. This data then helps with marine conservation planning, influencing policy and development decisions to ensure better protection for whales and dolphins in the future. In the past, this work has helped create marine protected areas in the seas around Scotland.

Alongside her championing of orca, Beatrice has also demonstrated a commitment to the wider protection and recovery of Scotland’s marine environment. Earlier this year, she secured a debate in parliament which highlighted the need to protect marine life during the removal of unexploded underwater munitions, and raised awareness of the threat to whales and dolphins from current methods used to detonate these devices. Beatrice has also raised awareness of these issues and the threats to orca among her constituency through her column in the the Shetland Times.

 

Related News

Blue whale at surface

Creating a safe haven for whales and dolphins in the Southern Ocean

Emma Eastcott Emma is WDC's head of safe seas. She helps ensure whales and dolphins are free from unintentional threats including pollution, collisions with vessels and...
Common dolphin

WDC takes ‘A Walk in the Park…with Animal Friends’

Longstanding WDC partner Animal Friends returns with season two of their podcast 'A Walk in the Park…with Animal Friends'. The podcast aims to engage and...
Humpback whale © Christopher Swann

Migration Patterns of Humpback Whales

Kidzone - quick links Fun Facts Curious kids Blogs Fantastic fundraisers Gallery Splish and Splash Puzzles Humpback whales complete some of the longest migrations of...
We're at COP28 to Save the Whale, Save the World.

We’re at COP28 to save the whale, save the world

Ed Goodall Ed is WDC's head of intergovernmental engagement. He meets with world leaders to increase protection and reduce harm to whales and dolphins, for...

Leave a Comment