Don’t Keep Whales and Dolphins in Captivity.
Target: Canadian Liberal Senator Wilfred Moore
Goal: Urge lawmakers to ban the practice of keeping cetaceans in captivity unless they are injured or need help.
Petition: Click Here To Sign.
Whales, dolphins, porpoises, and other cetaceans are still allowed to be held in captivity where it they live shorter lives and are often used for entertainment purposes, but this may end with new legislation that Canada is introducing to the Senate.
Canadian Liberal Senator Wilfred Moore has introduced The Ending of Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act, which would build upon Canada’s animal abuse laws and extend these provisions to cetaceans. Holding these animals in captivity would only be allowed if they were injured or clearly in need of help.
Senator Moore has recognized the importance of keeping these creatures out of captivity for the purpose of entertainment. Moore said that “treating cetaceans as the highly intelligent species that they are, and ensuring the freedom they enjoy in their natural habitat, is paramount for our own morality.”
According to Moore, there are more than 50 beluga whales and dolphins currently being held captive at the Vancouver Aquarium and Marineland. While the aquarium only captures cetaceans when they need help, breeding still continues there and needs to be stopped. In the province of Ontario, capturing and breeding orcas has been made illegal and those caught breaking this law can serve up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $60,000.
All of Canada needs to follow in the footsteps of Ontario and ban the captivity and breeding of cetaceans. Please sign the petition below and tell Senator Wilfred Moore how crucial it is for Canada to stop treating cetaceans with cruelty and let them be free.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Hon. Wilfred Moore,
You have recently introduced legislation called The Ending of Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act that would ban the practice of acquiring and breeding cetaceans in Canada. This legislation is needed and I fully support your decision to back this bill.
Keeping cetaceans in captivity for any reason other than helping injured creatures is wrong. For far too long, we have let this practice go on because there is a profit to be made in the animal entertainment industry. It is time we stop this cruel practice and allow cetaceans such as orcas and dolphins be free in their natural habitat.
Thank you for introducing legislation that will hopefully work to achieve this goal. We need continued support for this bill and I hope that you will do everything in your power to stop the captivity and breeding of cetaceans.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Right now, time is quickly ticking away until the Atlantic’s dolphins face a terrifying and virtually inescapable threat.
Seismic airgun blasting could begin off the United States East Coast as early as this summer. Once it starts, it could continue for hours, days, even weeks on end.
Dynamite-like blasts of sound will attack playful dolphins swimming through the blue summer water. But we can help stop seismic blasting before it’s too late.
Become an Oceana member now and help reach our $70,000 goal before next week’s deadline. Your donation helps support our campaign to stop seismic airgun blasting before the Atlantic’s dolphins pay the ultimate price. Even $10 makes a difference, and when you give $50 or more we’ll send you a limited-edition Oceana beach towel – perfect for summer >>
Right now, state government agencies up and down the East Coast are
deciding the Atlantic’s fate. And with each passing day, Oceana’ s
efforts are turning public opinion on our side – on the side of saving dolphins
and restoring our oceans.
But our work is not done yet – no way. Our campaign needs resources to keep pushing up and down the East Coast to ensure opposition to seismic blasting is so strong that not a single state lets one company blast dolphins.
You can help protect our oceans and dolphins by joining Oceana now. Give $50 or more and we’ll send you an Oceana beach towel as our thank you!
Dolphins deserve a better future than dynamite-like blasts of sound or the constant threat of oil spills. Please, be a part of protecting their future.
Dolphins in Peru are Being Killed for Shark Bait. Here’s What You Can Do to Stop it! For years, the country of Peru has outlawed the killing of dolphins. And for years, a number of Peruvian fishermen have ignored these laws, often selling dolphin meat in fish markets.
Goal: Remove drift gillnets that kill endangered and non-targeted marine animals from the waters off California.
Petition: Click Here To Sign.
Huge nets are entangling and killing many marine animals that are not targeted by the fishermen who use them, including dolphins and whales. Oceana recently released a public service announcement spreading awareness about the use of drift gillnets. The announcement featured Kate Mara, who was urging the public to give her and Oceana a hand in ensuring swordfish drift gillnets are removed from the waters. To protect whales and other marine wildlife off the United States’ West Coast, Kate Mara wants these nets removed and replaced with cleaner gears.
Striking ocean wildlife including sea lions, dolphins, sea turtles and whales all rely on waters off the US west coast. These creatures use the water to migrate, feed and breed. Sadly, some these species are endangered, and they face a high risk of entrapment due to the use of these unselective fishing gears.
Drift gillnets are set up during the night in the waters off California with the intention of capturing swordfish and thresher sharks. However, the nets create risky traps for other marine life. It has been documented that around 60 different marine species have been severely injured or drowned because of these nets. Though the nets target swordfish, in the morning when they are pulled, they contain a high number of other marine animals. The nets entrap whales, sea turtles, seals, dolphins, some shark species and other economically important marine animals as bycatch.
Due to bycatch concerns, some states have prohibited the use of these nets, leaving California as the only state that permits their usage. To make sure whales, sea turtles, seals and other marine animals get maximum protection, please sign this petition to demand the removal of drift gillnets.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Chair Lowman and Council Members, Ms. Sobeck and Mr. Stelle,
Kate is working alongside Oceana to ensure drift gillnets are removed from the waters. These nets are meant for swordfish and thresher sharks but have a high bycatch rate and injure a high number of other marine animals, including whales. The nets entangle and kill several marine creatures every year, endangering sperm whales and sea turtles in addition to killing other non-targeted species.
To maintain the health and biodiversity of California’s marine ecosystem, drift gillnets should be banned and replaced with cleaner and better fishing gears. These nets are invisible, are a mile-wide and a hundred feet deep, therefore, able to catch marine animals indiscriminately. Due to the awe-inspiring nature of whales and their unnecessary suffering, Kate Mara is dedicated to ensuring these creatures are protected. Removing these nets should go a long way in protecting whales and other marine life. Do the right thing,and ban drift gillnets.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
8 Japan Dolphins Shipped To Polar Ocean Park in China. A report published on June 23, 2015 tout the arrival of dolphins from Japan at the International Airport of Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province destined for the new Polar Ocean Park near Shanghai.
Can you help fund our proven campaign to prevent seismic blasting by joining Oceana now? Give $50 or more and we’ll send you an Oceana beach towel as our thank you!
We’ve told you how seismic airgun blasting could harm or even kill dolphins and critically endangered North Atlantic right whales; how the dynamite-like blasts could leave dolphins incapable of finding food; how if a single whale calf dies the entire species could possibly go extinct.
But these aren’t only marine animals that could be harmed – not hardly. Seismic airgun blasting could hurt or even kill other at risk whales, including humpbacks and sperm whales, as well as endangered sea turtles and important fish stocks.
We have to stop seismic airgun blasting – and together, I believe we can do it. Because of the dedication of thousands of Wavemakers like you, we’ve brought this issue to the forefront of public consciousness and prevented deadly blasting from sneaking by unnoticed.
Every donation – even $10 – makes a difference. From something as simple as paying for a banner at a stop seismic rally to funding Oceana’s dedicated scientists and their work, your gift matters.
How Creating Marine Sanctuaries is Helping Endangered Sharks, Whales and Dolphins in the Wild. This post was originally published on Conservation International’s blog, Human Nature.
Target: Canadian Liberal Senator Wilfred Moore
Goal: Urge lawmakers to ban the practice of keeping cetaceans in captivity unless they are injured or need help.
Petition: Click Here To Sign.
Whales, dolphins, porpoises, and other cetaceans are still allowed to be held in captivity where it they live shorter lives and are often used for entertainment purposes, but this may end with new legislation that Canada is introducing to the Senate.
Canadian Liberal Senator Wilfred Moore has introduced The Ending of Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act, which would build upon Canada’s animal abuse laws and extend these provisions to cetaceans. Holding these animals in captivity would only be allowed if they were injured or clearly in need of help.
Senator Moore has recognized the importance of keeping these creatures out of captivity for the purpose of entertainment. Moore said that “treating cetaceans as the highly intelligent species that they are, and ensuring the freedom they enjoy in their natural habitat, is paramount for our own morality.”
According to Moore, there are more than 50 beluga whales and dolphins currently being held captive at the Vancouver Aquarium and Marineland. While the aquarium only captures cetaceans when they need help, breeding still continues there and needs to be stopped. In the province of Ontario, capturing and breeding orcas has been made illegal and those caught breaking this law can serve up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $60,000.
All of Canada needs to follow in the footsteps of Ontario and ban the captivity and breeding of cetaceans. Please sign the petition below and tell Senator Wilfred Moore how crucial it is for Canada to stop treating cetaceans with cruelty and let them be free.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Hon. Wilfred Moore,
You have recently introduced legislation called The Ending of Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act that would ban the practice of acquiring and breeding cetaceans in Canada. This legislation is needed and I fully support your decision to back this bill.
Keeping cetaceans in captivity for any reason other than helping injured creatures is wrong. For far too long, we have let this practice go on because there is a profit to be made in the animal entertainment industry. It is time we stop this cruel practice and allow cetaceans such as orcas and dolphins be free in their natural habitat.
Thank you for introducing legislation that will hopefully work to achieve this goal. We need continued support for this bill and I hope that you will do everything in your power to stop the captivity and breeding of cetaceans.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Right now, time is quickly ticking away until the Atlantic’s dolphins face a terrifying and virtually inescapable threat.
Seismic airgun blasting could begin off the United States East Coast as early as this summer. Once it starts, it could continue for hours, days, even weeks on end.
Dynamite-like blasts of sound will attack playful dolphins swimming through the blue summer water. But we can help stop seismic blasting before it’s too late.
Become an Oceana member now and help reach our $70,000 goal before next week’s deadline. Your donation helps support our campaign to stop seismic airgun blasting before the Atlantic’s dolphins pay the ultimate price. Even $10 makes a difference, and when you give $50 or more we’ll send you a limited-edition Oceana beach towel – perfect for summer >>
But our work is not done yet – no way. Our campaign needs resources to keep pushing up and down the East Coast to ensure opposition to seismic blasting is so strong that not a single state lets one company blast dolphins.
You can help protect our oceans and dolphins by joining Oceana now. Give $50 or more and we’ll send you an Oceana beach towel as our thank you!
Dolphins deserve a better future than dynamite-like blasts of sound or the constant threat of oil spills. Please, be a part of protecting their future.
Dolphins in Peru are Being Killed for Shark Bait. Here’s What You Can Do to Stop it! For years, the country of Peru has outlawed the killing of dolphins. And for years, a number of Peruvian fishermen have ignored these laws, often selling dolphin meat in fish markets.
But in recent years, much larger numbers of dolphins have been found dead in Peruvian waters. Investigations by filmmaker and conservationist Hardy Jones and his group Bluevoice and the environmental organization Mundo Azul have shown that the growing market in Asia for shark fins has led to the slaughter of many more dolphins than in previous years for shark bait.
Shark numbers around the world have been decimated by the shark fin soup trade, emanating from China and other East Asian countries. Many shark species are now considered seriously depleted.
By some estimates, as many as 10,000 to 15,000 dolphins a year are now being killed for shark bait in Peruvian waters.
Mundo Azul made the following video and is raising funds for distribution of video of the illegal hunts.
Activists in Peru are urging the government to take the following steps:
1. Ban the possession and use of harpoons. Harpoons are only used for dolphin hunts – and as killing of dolphins is illegal, a harpoon ban is the only logical and long overdue step to stem the dolphin hunts;
2. Ensure stricter controls and appropriate fines to deter fishermen from continuing the dolphin slaughters;
3. Pass a long overdue ban on shark fishing
What Can You Do?
You can help by contacting Peruvian President Humala atsecretariageneral@presidencia.gob.pe urging him to adopt the steps above to protect Peru’s dolphins and sharks.
Please also send a copy to your country’s Peruvian Ambassador. In the U.S., you can use thisonline form.
Australian Marine Park Plans to do What With Stranded Dolphins?! It sounds too sick to be true, but a marine park in Australia called Dolphin Marine Magic has been caught boasting about plans to milk wild, stranded dolphins for sperm.
Why? So it can artificially inseminate its captive female dolphins – even though animal welfare advocates argue the pool they live in is already far too small, and illegally overcrowded.
An annual report states that Dolphin Marine Magic’s capacity to manage its dolphin population would be “greatly enhanced with the use of artificial insemination. This will allow the use of semen from other institutions and from wild animals that strand in the future.”
According to the CEO of Australia for Dolphins, Sarah Lucas, “taking sperm from stranded dolphins that are likely to be suffering distress goes against every principle of legitimate rehabilitation.”
“It is a morally repulsive idea, and if Dolphin Marine Magic goes ahead with it, it will be a gross abuse of its licence to rehabilitate stranded and injured dolphins,” Ms. Lucas continues. “Exploiting vulnerable, wild dolphins to breed new generations of captive dolphins which the park will use to make money is unacceptable, especially when the park’s facilities are already too small to legally hold the poor dolphins they already have.”
Even before announcing plans to expand, Dolphin Marine Magic already had a licence variation for failing to meet regulations in relation to the size of its pools.
Even before announcing plans to expand, Dolphin Marine Magic already had a licence variation for failing to meet regulations in relation to the size of its pools.
According to Ms. Lucas, “Dolphin Marine Magic is anything but magic. It crams dolphins and seals into tiny pools, and fails to meet multiple regulatory standards in a greedy attempt to increase its profits.”
Other Questionable Activity at Dolphin Marine Magic
The latest sickening development around sperm harvesting is only one of many grievances animal welfare advocates harbour in relation to this controversial marine park. In fact, Dolphin Marine Magic has been the subject of numerous recent protests.
Opponents of Dolphin Marine Magic’s practices call the marine park hypocritical. Although the it has publicly condemned dolphin hunting, at least three of the park’s own trainers have worked at a dolphinarium in Dubai renowned for capturing dolphins from the wild using incredibly cruel methods. Current Dolphin Marine Magic staff worked with at least 28 dolphins captured during hunts in the Solomon Islands at the Dubai facility, which were acquired using similarly cruel capture methods to those used in Taiji.
“It is great that Dolphin Marine Magic has denounced dolphin hunting on its website,” Ms Lucas said. “It would be even better if this extended to its own hiring policy – Dolphin Marine Magic shouldn’t be employing head trainers who have who have a record in training traumatized dolphins to do circus tricks – knowing the dolphins were cruelly captured from the wild.”
Bucky the Dolphin
Reservations about the ethical integrity of Dolphin Marine Magic are further reinforced by the marine park’s use of a very old dolphin called Bucky, who is in remission from cancer, as its “star performer.”
Bucky has been in captivity for more than 44 years. Even though he is incredibly old – the equivalent of being in his nineties in human years – he is still made to perform in multiple shows and give tourists rides. A phone call to the park confirms that this is because “it really screws things up when he doesn’t want to perform.”
In response to concerns, Australia’s national Zoo and Aquarium Association has launched an investigation into numerous reported animal welfare breaches at Dolphin Marine Magic. The results are due next week, but information that’s already in circulation paints a disturbing picture.
Reacting to heavy criticism, Dolphin Marine Magic has responded by saying “the positive welfare of all the animals in our care is our top priority.” In a statement released on its website this week, the park insists “participation in interactive sessions during the day constitutes “enrichment activities for the dolphins.”
Interestingly, Dolphin Marine Magic did not even try to defend the size of its enclosures, all of which are smaller than legislated minimums.
In the hope of getting Bucky out of the cramped pool he has been trapped in for 44 years, local NGOs Australia for Dolphins and the Australian Institute of Marine Rescues are working together to create a dedicated sanctuary for Bucky and his family. They also hope to convert the current facilities at the park into a dedicated marine mammal hospital for injured and stranded dolphins – where they promise they will never milk the dolphins for sperm, or engage in artificial insemination.
This way, Bucky and his family will have the opportunity to peacefully live out the rest of their days in the ocean.
Lead image source: Alessandro Caproni/Flickr
Save Whales and Dolphins from Drowning in Nets. Target: Chair Lowman and Council Members, Pacific Fishery Management Council; Ms. Sobeck and Mr. Stelle, National Marine Fisheries ServiceGoal: Remove drift gillnets that kill endangered and non-targeted marine animals from the waters off California.
Petition: Click Here To Sign.
Huge nets are entangling and killing many marine animals that are not targeted by the fishermen who use them, including dolphins and whales. Oceana recently released a public service announcement spreading awareness about the use of drift gillnets. The announcement featured Kate Mara, who was urging the public to give her and Oceana a hand in ensuring swordfish drift gillnets are removed from the waters. To protect whales and other marine wildlife off the United States’ West Coast, Kate Mara wants these nets removed and replaced with cleaner gears.
Striking ocean wildlife including sea lions, dolphins, sea turtles and whales all rely on waters off the US west coast. These creatures use the water to migrate, feed and breed. Sadly, some these species are endangered, and they face a high risk of entrapment due to the use of these unselective fishing gears.
Drift gillnets are set up during the night in the waters off California with the intention of capturing swordfish and thresher sharks. However, the nets create risky traps for other marine life. It has been documented that around 60 different marine species have been severely injured or drowned because of these nets. Though the nets target swordfish, in the morning when they are pulled, they contain a high number of other marine animals. The nets entrap whales, sea turtles, seals, dolphins, some shark species and other economically important marine animals as bycatch.
Due to bycatch concerns, some states have prohibited the use of these nets, leaving California as the only state that permits their usage. To make sure whales, sea turtles, seals and other marine animals get maximum protection, please sign this petition to demand the removal of drift gillnets.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Chair Lowman and Council Members, Ms. Sobeck and Mr. Stelle,
Kate is working alongside Oceana to ensure drift gillnets are removed from the waters. These nets are meant for swordfish and thresher sharks but have a high bycatch rate and injure a high number of other marine animals, including whales. The nets entangle and kill several marine creatures every year, endangering sperm whales and sea turtles in addition to killing other non-targeted species.
To maintain the health and biodiversity of California’s marine ecosystem, drift gillnets should be banned and replaced with cleaner and better fishing gears. These nets are invisible, are a mile-wide and a hundred feet deep, therefore, able to catch marine animals indiscriminately. Due to the awe-inspiring nature of whales and their unnecessary suffering, Kate Mara is dedicated to ensuring these creatures are protected. Removing these nets should go a long way in protecting whales and other marine life. Do the right thing,and ban drift gillnets.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
8 Japan Dolphins Shipped To Polar Ocean Park in China. A report published on June 23, 2015 tout the arrival of dolphins from Japan at the International Airport of Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province destined for the new Polar Ocean Park near Shanghai.
On June 8, 4 Japan dolphins were also shipped to the same location.
Eight bottlenose dolphins from Osaka of Japan, purchased by a polar ocean park in southeast China's Fujian Province, are transported by air into Hangzhou on Tuesday by Atlas Air cargo transport who are based in Los Angeles California.
A journey that spanned over 1100 miles and countless hours in quarantine along the way.
The dolphins will be kept in a "special quarantine park" for 30 days. This is after they have already been in quarantine in Japan.
After the on-site quarantine at the airport, the dolphins will be transported to a special quarantine farm for a 30-day quarantine. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)
Here is the list from Cetacousins that shows their current inventory:
It has not yet been confirmed if these dolphin are from the Taiji drive hunts. Stay tuned.
Tomorrow at midnight is the hard deadline for our summer stop seismic
membership drive, and we still haven’t met our $70,000 goal.Can you help fund our proven campaign to prevent seismic blasting by joining Oceana now? Give $50 or more and we’ll send you an Oceana beach towel as our thank you!
We’ve told you how seismic airgun blasting could harm or even kill dolphins and critically endangered North Atlantic right whales; how the dynamite-like blasts could leave dolphins incapable of finding food; how if a single whale calf dies the entire species could possibly go extinct.
But these aren’t only marine animals that could be harmed – not hardly. Seismic airgun blasting could hurt or even kill other at risk whales, including humpbacks and sperm whales, as well as endangered sea turtles and important fish stocks.
We have to stop seismic airgun blasting – and together, I believe we can do it. Because of the dedication of thousands of Wavemakers like you, we’ve brought this issue to the forefront of public consciousness and prevented deadly blasting from sneaking by unnoticed.
Every donation – even $10 – makes a difference. From something as simple as paying for a banner at a stop seismic rally to funding Oceana’s dedicated scientists and their work, your gift matters.
How Creating Marine Sanctuaries is Helping Endangered Sharks, Whales and Dolphins in the Wild. This post was originally published on Conservation International’s blog, Human Nature.
The final day of our survey somehow encapsulated everything that is wonderful about Timor and Atauro.
We woke early, packed our field gear onto the boat and went for one last snorkeling trip. Once again, it was magnificent! In the bright sunlight and crystal-clear water, we saw stunning corals and a vast variety of reef fish. Out from the fringing reef, the seafloor drops more than three kilometers (1.9 miles) below the surface, creating habitat for big species such as sharks, whales, and dolphins. This is where CI is proposing a shark sanctuary that would cover a combination of reefs and deep water, allowing for a range of species and ecosystems.
After snorkeling, we said goodbye to the people of Atauro and began the journey back to Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste. The boat driver told us that earlier that day, he had seen a pod of melon-headed whales, which like deep water and are rarely seen by people. We eagerly scanned the horizon, but all we saw was a vast rain cloud heading our way. Within minutes, we were drenched by an epic downpour.
But as we neared Dili, the cloud drifted away. The sun came out, an obligatory rainbow appeared … and we saw a large pod of spinner dolphins! There must have been more than a hundred. They swam away from us, some of them leaping and — true to their name — spinning through the air. Two broke away from the group and raced back toward our boat. They overtook us, leapt from the water several times, then turned and swam back to the pod. On the boat, we stood and applauded — this place was amazing!
Flickr
Flickr
A Search for Biodiversity
On the mainland, as I packed up and prepared to fly home to Singapore, our team discussed our plans for further research on the island.
To fully understand the diversity of the area, we will have to conduct a marine survey there in November, during “whale time.” In October and November, blue and humpback whales migrate through the straits between the Timor mainland and Atauro. They can be seen just a few hundred meters from the shore, and yet there is no whale-watching tourism here. With more than a dozen other cetacean species in the area, the potential for non-invasive whale and dolphin watching could be huge — if, that is, they are found in sufficient numbers.
When it comes to terrestrial species, our work this week has turned up as many questions as answers. Where do the shrews occur, and how many species are there? Are there any amphibians here? Is the spitting cobra a species new to science? Do the rocky cliffs along the south of the island harbor species that are not found elsewhere? What is the northern tip of the island like? Do other bat species live on the island?
With these questions comes the realization that we still have so much to learn — so we’ve decided to continue our terrestrial research during our November survey as well.
Flickr
FlickrUsing Data to Preserve Animals and Their Environment
We have already, however, gathered sufficient information to support the Timorese government’s plans for a protected area on the island — and help the country figure out which areas are most important to protect. Our report will highlight the importance of the area, both for people and for wildlife. We will also discuss options to expand the proposed boundary to include the beautiful stream that the team found, which is a rare source of fresh water on the parched island.
We will also include recommendations for ecotourism that, if pursued in a sustainable manner, could support the local and national economy without harming nature.
In a way, Atauro is a small-scale example of the sort of conservation decisions governments make around the world: managing the trade-offs between development and conservation, controlling the balance between people and nature, preserving the flow of ecosystem services (such as water) to people downstream and ensuring that development doesn’t lead to species extinctions.
Ultimately, I hope we can help create an entire island ridge-to-reef protected area that will have incredible benefits for all life — human or otherwise — that inhabits this remarkable place.
Lead image source: Rob Shenk/Flickr
International Save The Vaquita Day July 11. With less than 80 left in the Sea of Cortez, the Vaquita is rivaling Maui's dolphins in New Zealand as one of the fastest cetacean species meeting extinction. Let's give them a voice so more don't end up like this:
International Save The Vaquita Day July 11, 2015
Go to www.vivavaquita.org to find out more about Vaquita. Partner with people in your community to have a educational booth in your area.
