Posts by George Berry
Preparations for beluga whale move to Iceland continue
Ahead of the relocation of Little White and Little Grey to the world’s first open water sanctuary for beluga whales this April, yesterday we gave international media the opportunity to discover how this epic 6,000 mile journey will be delivered to plan and also speak to some of the expert team involved in making this…
Read MoreWhale culture should play a part in their conservation says new international study
An international group of researchers working on a wide range of species, including whales, argues that cultural knowledge of these creatures needs to be taken into consideration when planning international conservation efforts and laws. A paper published in leading journal Science (Tuesday 26 February) makes a compelling case that growing scientific evidence on social learning, which can…
Read MoreUk trade talks with New Zealand should raise concerns about endangered dolphins
WDC is leading a coalition of organisations urging the UK government to use its trade negotiations with New Zealand to discuss the appalling numbers of Māui and Hector’s dolphins dying in fishing nets (as ‘bycatch’). In a letter to the UK government, WDC urges that this matter is discussed as a matter of urgency during…
Read MoreMultiple belugas moved in US marine parks
Over the last month, there has been a flurry of movement between marine parks in the U.S. as several captive-held belugas have been shifted among facilities. This appears to be an attempt to mix up males and females and advance captive breeding efforts, after a 2015 court decision denied the Georgia Aquarium and other parks permission to import 18…
Read MoreIceland to kill over two thousand fin and minke whales
The Icelandic fisheries minister has announced a new whaling quota, which will allow Icelandic whalers to kill over two thousand fin and minke whales over a five year period. This move comes at a time when public support for whaling within Iceland is falling and local demand for whale meat is negligible. This announcement appears to confirm the influence of wealthy businessman…
Read MoreRecord numbers of dolphins dead on French beaches
According to reports from France, huge numbers of dolphins have been washing up dead on French beaches once again. Since the start of 2019, up to 600 dead dolphins have drifted onto beaches along France’s Atlantic coast due, it seems, to incidental capture in in fishing trawls and static fishing nets offshore (also known as bycatch).…
Read MoreDolphinaris Arizona will no longer hold dolphins
A week after closing, the signs were removed from Dolphinaris Arizona as the marine park undergoes an evaluation following the death of four bottlenose dolphins in less than two years – half of the dolphins held at the dolphinarium, and the park has announced they will no longer hold dolphins if and when they reopen. A panel of third-party…
Read MoreReport reveals area considered for protection is a UK baby dolphin ‘hotspot’
A new scientific paper calling for more protection for a population of Risso’s dolphins living in a ‘hotspot’ around Lewis in Scotland has been published ahead of the Scottish government public consultation on this and three other proposed protected sea area sites. The paper, produced by WDC and published in the Journal of the Marine Biological…
Read MoreShia Su’s ‘Zero Waste’ book giveaway
This World Whale Day we’ve joined forces with Shia Su, of waste-free blog Wasteland Rebel, to help our supporters become more plastic-free. By making small changes and choices we can help protect whales and dolphins from the threat of plastic pollution. We’re giving away two signed copies of her ground-breaking book ‘Zero Waste: Simple Life Hacks…
Read MoreAnother orca death at SeaWorld
SeaWorld announced on Monday that Kayla, an orca held at its marine park in Orlando, Florida, has died. Kayla was 30 years old, having spent her entire life in captivity since her birth in 1988 at SeaWorld’s San Antonio park. Kayla’s father was an orca captured from British Columbia in Canada while her mother was…
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