Untitled Document

First of all, we want to wish all of our members a very Happy New Year! 2008 will definitely prove to be a continuing challenge for WDCS as we work on your behalf to save whales, dolphins and their environment Below you will find news and information from WDCS in our series of E-Newsletters.

After intensive diplomatic efforts by several nations, including the US and Australia, Japan has opted to postpone a proposed kill of humpback whales in its Antarctic hunt. Unfortunately this is a temporary reprieve only, and 1,000 minke and endangered fin whales will still be killed by Japan within the waters of the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary.

WDCS defines Japan’s research as a false front, one that has allowed the island nation to continue its whaling-for-profit activities. In late December, over 30 nations and the EU condemned Japan's self-defined "scientific" whaling and asked the country to halt all lethal scientific takes of whales, and to call its whaling vessels home. Unfortunately, the US did not sign on to this letter.

You can help WDCS to campaign for US political support against Japan’s whale hunts. Click here to keep the ban on commercial whaling intact.

Several deaths documented at Atlanta’s Georgia Aquarium last year have sparked concern within the animal welfare community. While the cause of death of two beluga whales is still under speculation, WDCS calls for an end to confining these animals in captivity.

Click here to learn the story of Marina, the beluga who died this December.

What does it take to protect wild dolphins? That question, proposed at a Florida Consortium last November, brought together WDCS and other groups for open discussions to reduce human threats to dolphin populations.

Although public fascination with dolphins may seem intuitively positive, facts show that interactions between wild dolphins and humans generally turn out poorly for the animals. In unfortunate circumstances, dolphins can become stressed or even “loved to death” by tour groups, or considered a menace by fishermen.

Click here to find out what preventive measures WDCS is taking to improve the plight of wild dolphins.

Japan’s traditional drive hunts may again threaten the lives and freedom of wild orcas in the near future.

Japan’s dolphin drive hunts have been well-documented through pictures and videos available on the Internet. Images often portray bloodied dolphins being herded towards shore with fishermen applying hooks to the animals. WDCS and others continue to petition for a permanent end to drive hunts.

Click here to read more about the current threat.

WDCS’s Turks and Caicos Islands project aims to keep whales safe in their Caribbean breeding grounds

Tourists flock to the Caribbean islands year-round for the tropical climate and crystal blue waters. For the humpback whales that feed in the Gulf of Maine, however, there’s an instinctive need to migrate south in the winter—during their crucial breeding period.

Whales take up residence around the Dominican Republic, an area officially known as the Sanctuary for the Marine Mammals of the Dominican Republic. But little is known about how they use the waters around the Turks and Caicos Islands, to the north. To determine how the area is used by whales, WDCS researchers will study populations around the islands with the aid of local whale watching operators and investigate what effects human interaction has on the whales in the area.

Read our WDCS researchers blog for updates from the field at http://uk.wdcs.org/fieldblog/

Kind Regards,

WDCS Team
http://www.whales.org

This e-mail address is currently subscribed to receive updates, alerts and information from WDCS (NA). If you wish to unsubscribe please e-mail unsubscribe_us@wdcs.org and put Unsubscribe in the Subject field.

WDCS is the global voice for the protection of whales, dolphins and their environment.