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WDC Publications and Reports

Every year WDC produces or commissions a number of reports on a variety of issues concerning whales and dolphins. Below are a selection of our publications in pdf format. Where copyright restrictions preclude this please contact us for further information on a report's availability.

In addition to the reports highlighted below, WDC staff around the world are actively publishing peer-reviewed scientific papers, presenting posters and talks at conferences and submitting papers to meetings of a variety of international fora.

Annual Review

WDC audited accounts and financial review for 2021/2022 (2023)

WDC Annual Review 2022 - Celebrating what you have helped us achieve in the past year (2023)

Captivity

El cautiverio de cetáceos en Latinoamérica y el Caribe (2021)

A vision for whales and dolphins in tourism (2020)

Dolphinaria - A review of the keeping of whales and dolphins in captivity in the European Union and EC Directive 1999/22, relating to the keeping of wild animals in zoos. (2015)

Dolphin Assisted Therapy: Can you put your faith in DAT? (2007)

Driven-by-demand (2006)

Biting the Hand that Feeds - the case against petting pools (2003)

Captive Orcas - ‘Dying to Entertain You’ (2001)

Climate Crisis

Whales - Their future is our future (2021)

Marine Renewable Energy: A Global Review of the Extent of Marine Renewable Energy Developments, the Developing Technologies and Possible Conservation Implications for Cetaceans (2013)

Offshore wind farms and marine mammals: Impacts and methodologies for assessing impacts (2008)

An update on the extent of marine renewable energy developments in the Northeast Atlantic (2008)

Whales in hot water (2007)

Ocean acidification (2006)

Marine wind farms and cetaceans (2003)

Fisheries

Bycatch mitigation for the Baltic proper harbour porpoise: What to do if pingers are not an option? (2023)

An evaluation of cetacean bycatch in UK fisheries: problems and solutions (2021)

Cetacean Bycatch Monitoring and Mitigation under EC Regulation 812/2004 in the Northeast Atlantic, North Sea and Baltic Sea from 2006 to 2014 (2017)

Towards an EU Action Plan on Cetacean Bycatch (2016)

ECS Resolution: The need to better monitor & mitigate european marine mammal bycatch (2016)

Assessing New Zealanders’ Willingness-to-pay to Protect the Endangered New Zealand Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori): A benefit-cost analysis comparing three scenarios (2014)

The Price of Fish - A review of cetacean bycatch in fisheries in the north-east Atlantic (2011)

The Animal Welfare Implications of Cetacean Deaths in Fisheries (2008)

Shrouded by the Sea: The animal welfare implications of bycatch in fisheries - a summary document (2008)

The Net Effect? - A review of cetacean bycatch in pelagic trawls and other fisheries in the north-east Atlantic (2004)

Legislation

Myth and Momentum: A Critique of Environmental Impact Assessments (2013)

Looking forward to strict "strict protection": A critical review of the current legal regime for cetaceans in UK waters (2012)

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

The necessity of Management Options for effective harbour porpoise conservation in the UK (2015)

Making space for UK porpoises, dolphins and whales (2013)

Towards Marine Protected Areas for Cetaceans in Scotland, England and Wales: A scientific review identifying critical habitat with key recommendations (2010)

Pollution

Message in a bottle - The shocking impact of plastic pollution and how we can reverse it. (published with support from Brita, 2021. Last updated Nov 22)

Marine Debris and Cetaceans (2011)

Oceans of Noise (2004)

Species

South American River Dolphin Action Plan (2010)

The Conservation of British Cetaceans (2007)

Into the Brains of Whales (2007)

Current State of Knowledge of Cetacean Threats, Diversity, and Habitats in the Pacific Islands Region (2007)

Conserving Cetaceans; The Convention on Migratory Species and its Relevant Agreements for Cetacean Conservation (2003)

Strandings

ECS Workshop on Best Practice in Rescue (2013)

Joint NGO Corkscrew response (2013)

Vessel Collisions

Vessel collisions and cetaceans: What happens when they don’t miss the boat (2008)

Welfare

Report on UK Marine Mammals Welfare Workshop (2020)

Whale Watching

A Guide to Responsible Whale Watching (2019)

The use of marine wildlife-watching codes and their role in managing activities within marine protected areas in Scotland (2016)

Whale-watching: More than meets the Eyes (2013)

A review of whale watch guidelines and regulations around the world (2008)

The State of Whale Watching in Latin America (2008)

Russia Whale Watching Guide (2006)

European Whale Watching Guide (2003)

Whaling

Opinion survey into attitudes towards whaling and whalemeat consumption in Norway (2019)

Small Cetaceans, big problems - A global review of the impacts of hunting on small whales, dolphins and porpoises (2018)

Slayed in Iceland - The commercial hunting and international trade in endangered fin whales (2014)

Whale for Sale (2014)

A veterinary analysis of a novel approach to dolphin slaughter used in the 'drive hunts' in Taiji, Japan (2012)

Greenland's expanding commercial whaling (2012)

Breaking Ranks - Denmark goes it alone on whaling policy (2012)

Sink or Swim : The Economics of Whaling Today (2009)

Japanese small type whaling (2009)

Whaling: defying international commitments to animal welfare? (2008)

Iceland, whaling and ecosystem-based fishery management (2008)

Animal welfare in Norway: an inconsistent truth (2007)

The RMS – A question of confidence? (2005)

Welfare-implications-of-modern-whaling (2004)

Troubled Waters - A review of the welfare implications of modern whaling activities (2003)