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Dolphin SMART Continues Forward
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WDCS's dolphin tour operator
education and recognition program in the Florida Keys is off to a great
start! WDCS and its partners, including NOAA's National Marine Fisheries
Service and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, recently recognized its
first charter operator under the new program launched in February. Key West's Dolphin Safari Charters officially joined the Dolphin SMART program after
successfully meeting standards that promote responsible viewing of wild
dolphins. Upon acceptance into the voluntary program, Dolphin SMART
charters receive flags, decals and the permission to use the Dolphin SMART
logo in their advertising.
Dolphin SMART is a unique voluntary recognition and education program
encouraging responsible viewing of wild dolphins in the Florida Keys
National Marine Sanctuary. Program participation is for commercial
businesses conducting and booking wild dolphin tours in the Florida Keys . The Dolphin SMART program offers participation incentives for businesses
that follow the program criteria and educate their customers about the
importance of minimizing wild dolphin harassment. It also includes an
important research component that provides insight about the daily lives of
the local, wild dolphin population in Key West.
The acronym SMART is a reminder of the basic principles of dolphin viewing
etiquette:
Stay at least 50
yards from dolphins;
Move away slowly
if the dolphins show signs of disturbance
Always put our
vessel engine in neutral when dolphins are near
Refrain from
touching, feeding or swimming with wild dolphins
Teach others to
be Dolphin SMART
By participating in the program, Dolphin SMART businesses provide an
enhanced tour experience by offering:
• Detailed knowledge about the laws protecting wild bottlenose dolphins
• How to responsibly view wild dolphins and recognize signs of harassment
• Fun and informative educational materials
• Details about local dolphin populations and research
• Up-to-date knowledge about wild dolphin conservation by attending
continuing education workshops to enhance educational opportunities for
themselves and their customers
Each year, participants are evaluated to ensure they're continuing to meet
program standards. By looking for the current year on flags and logos and
checking the updated participant list, visitors to the Florida Keys seeking
the thrill of seeing dolphins in the wild can ensure the tour operator they
select is Dolphin SMART. By choosing to follow Dolphin SMART criteria,
businesses demonstrate concern for dolphin conservation. The next time you
choose a dolphin tour, do your part and book Dolphin SMART!
Click here for more information on the DolphinSMART program
WDCS Supports Education
Efforts in Japan
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In working with a local
conservation organization, Elsa Nature Conservancy, WDCS is developing an
'educational road show' that will travel throughout Japan, and serve to
educate students and the general public about dolphins and the threats that
they face, including dolphin drive hunts, whaling and captivity. This
educational exhibit will travel through universities and schools in Tokyo and through the coastal villages where the hunts occur, in guest houses, nature
centers and other venues, providing an opportunity to contrast the
beautiful images of whales and dolphins in the wild with images of drive,
harpoon and other hunts.
We are happy to announce that the first event was held on April 21st, at Waseda University in Tokyo. The event consisted of panel displays and video depicting wild
images of dolphins contrasted with images from the hunts. Group discussions
were held with visitors, along with origami stations for the children that
attended the event. Based on the surveys that were conducted on-site, the
exhibit was well-received by the Japanese public, and served to inspire
both conversation and awareness of dolphins and the threats they face in Japan.
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The dolphin drive hunts occur
annually in Japan in several coastal villages, from September through
April. In these brutal hunts, dolphins are corralled into small coves where
they are systematically slaughtered for meat, or selected alive for the
aquarium industry. With an annual quota of almost 3,000 dolphins, these
hunts represent a huge threat to local dolphin populations, and are only
rivaled by the directed hunts of Dall's porpoise that occur offshore in
northern Japan. In total, nearly 23,000 dolphins and small whales are taken
annually in Japanese waters.
Please see the WDCS Driven by Demand Report.
Finally Some
Good News
A federal appeals court in San Francisco rejected
weaker dolphin safe standards for imported tuna. For full story click here.
Regards,
Michael Waterson
Treasurer,
WDCS (NA) Inc
http://www.whales.org
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is the global voice for the protection of whales, dolphins and their
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