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Icelandic hunting vessels in port

Whaling boat kept in port after more hunt cruelty exposed

Icelandic whale hunting fleet One of the whaling boats involved in the latest hunts in...
Commerson's dolphin

New Important Marine Mammal Areas added to global ocean conservation list

Commerson's dolphin Experts from a number of countries have mapped out a new set of...
Image showing two harpoon wounds in fin whale

Whalers kill just days after Iceland’s hunt suspension is lifted

Whalers in Iceland have claimed their first victims since the lifting (just a few days...
Fin whale

Icelandic government lifts suspension on cruel hunts

The Icelandic government is to allow fin whales to be hunted again after lifting a...

Decision to scrap protected marine areas in UK a backward step

A healthy planet needs a healthy ocean and that means protecting whales
A healthy planet needs a healthy ocean and that means protecting whales

The UK Government’s decision to designate only three of five suggested highly protected marine areas (HPMAs) in the waters around England has been met with disappointment by conservation groups including WDC.

We took part in efforts to promote the concept and influence the proposed sites during the consultation process so that threats to whales and dolphins were considered. But despite the Government looking at five areas to protect, stating in 2021 that it was a bare minimum, two proposed sites have been scrapped.

Last year UK Government backed the international agreement at COP15 to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030. The long-term sustainability of the ocean and its ability to help reverse climate breakdown means that losing two out of five HPMA pilot sites is a major set-back and makes meeting the Government’s 30% targets by 2030 less likely.

Protecting whales and dolphins is vital if we want to keep the ocean healthy. The more whales there are the better. We need to be creating more marine protected areas not scrapping them.

Read more here about how whales play an amazing role in an ecosystem that keeps every creature on Earth alive.

 

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