My lack of posting recently has been due to a very busy schedule that included working at the World Whale and Whale Watch Conferences (25th and 26th October) and at Whalefest (27th and 28th October) at The Brighton Hilton Metropole. Both conferences were very well represented and record numbers of people attended Whalefest 2012. One of the main objectives from the conferences was to re-launch the Save-the-Whales Campaign, the launch was a great success, but rather than me write my own account I have published the press release from Planet Whale, the driving force behind this new campaign.
30.10.12
‘Save the
Whales: Reloaded’ forms new global community
HISTORIC ALLIANCE OF LEADING ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS
PLEDGE
NEW ACTIONS TO PROTECT WHALES AND DOLPHINS
A new global community
has been formed to protect whales and dolphins across the world’s oceans.
The alliance was
announced following the World Whale Conference held last week at the
Hilton Brighton Metropole, Brighton, UK, the hotel where the original
moratorium on whaling was signed in 1982.
Over 75 leading
environmental and animal protection groups and businesses have committed to Save the Whales: Reloaded, including
World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), Ocean Alliance, Earthrace
Conservation, the American Cetacean Society and many more. The new
global alliance will identify and work together to protect whales and dolphins
in all of the places where they most need help.
The news was announced by
whale and dolphin specialists Planet Whale which orchestrated the
alliance, with environmentalists including Bill Oddie and Jean Michel
Cousteau already flagging up sites requiring urgent action. Dylan Walker,
co-founder of Planet Whale commented:
“Today marks an historic move
forward as we galvanise the passion and commitment of the original Save the
Whales campaign with Save the Whales:
Reloaded. As an active and influential global community we will be using
our collective energy and expertise to identify and ring fence new ‘Areas of
Concern’ for whales and dolphins across the globe. Today, we are naming the first three areas we
have agreed to tackle and we are already planning to announce thousands more as
we seek to ensure the long term protection of all whales, dolphins and
porpoises, collectively known as cetaceans.”
Identifying key locations
where whales and dolphins are currently under threat, the alliance has announced
the first three sites targeted for immediate action. These are:
The
Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary[i]
Whale and
Dolphin Conservation (WDC), Canadian Marine Environment Protection Society, and
Cetacean Society International have come together with some 20 other NGO and
business supporters from around the world to re-affirm the need for whaling to
end in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary and to make it a true sanctuary for whales.
The call comes
in a week when the world’s eyes are trained on the Southern Ocean where, in
Hobart, Australia, the fate of the proposed 2.4 million km2 Ross Sea
Region Marine Reserve and Antarctic reserve network is being decided by CCAMLR
— the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Living Marine Resources.
 |
| Proposed Ross Sea Region Marine Reserve - A NO TAKE ZONE |
Says Erich Hoyt, Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) Research Fellow and author of Marine Protected Areas for Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises: “We are calling on every country to make this commitment to whales and the marine ecosystem, stop all fishing there, and to give the strongest possible message for conservation in the global commons and high seas of the great Southern Ocean. This is our big chance; we can’t blow it.”
Save the Whales: Reloaded supporters will campaign against the ongoing slaughter of whales within the sanctuary by the Japanese whaling fleet, and for the creation of an Antarctic reserve network.
New Zealand’s Coastal Waters[ii]
Twenty-two conservation groups and businesses from around the world have joined NABU International in a collective bid to save the Maui and Hector's dolphins as part of the Save the Whales: reloaded Campaign.
 |
Hector's and Maui's dolphins inhabit coastal waters up to a depth of 100 m (red).
Because only a fraction of their home is protected against harmful fishing
methods (green) their numbers continue to dwindle away |
Maui and Hector's dolphins are the smallest and rarest marine dolphins on the earth and live only in New Zealand. Over the past four decades, gill-netting and trawling have decimated them almost to the point of extinction. A ban on gill and trawl nets across the species' full range in all waters up to 100m depth is crucial if these dolphins are to recover.
"Saving Hector's and Maui's dolphins is a race against time. They simply can't hang on much longer and need action NOW," says Dr Barbara Maas, Head of International Species Conservation at NABU International.
 |
| Dead Maui's Dolphins - A result of becoming entangled in Fishing Nets (Photo Steve Dawson) |
"We stand together and call on the new Zealand government to protect Hector's and Maui's dolphins immediately and fully against harmful fishing methods before its too late. If New Zealand fails on this critical conservation challenge, it will damage the country's reputation forever."
Save the Whales: Reloaded supporters will petition the new Zealand government to increase the ban on trawling and set nets along the coastline to extend to the species' full range.
Loro Parque, Tenerife[iii]
Captured two years ago, wild orca Morgan languishes in Loro Parque, a privately owned entertainment park in the Canary Islands. Now, forty seven charities, businesses and delegates at the World Whale Conference have added their support to the Free Morgan Foundation to save Morgan from captivity as part of the Save the Whales: Reloaded campaign.
 |
| Damage to Morgans Rostrum |
Morgan has been subjected to attacks and bullying from other orca and is showing signs of severe stress and abnormal behaviours as a result of being subjected to inhumane conditions.
 |
| Morgan being bitten by another captive Orca |
Dr Ingrid Visser of the Free Morgan Foundation, who has studied wild and captive orca for more than 20 years said: “Morgan is a prime candidate for rehabilitation and release, the only thing that is stopping her return is the money-focused greed of the captivity industry. Morgan represents all that is wrong with this industry, which claims that keeping these animals is a form of education. I’ve never heard a word of education out of there yet and all we are teaching is that is OK to abuse animals.”
Save the Whales: Reloaded supporters will join the Free Morgan Foundation in campaigning for a boycott of the park and the release of Morgan back to the wild.
The global community
behind Save the Whales: Reloaded was
formed at last week’s World Whale Conference which brought together members of the public, whale
and dolphin charities, government agencies and businesses from around the world
to share ideas and best practice. A
total of 44 charities and 34 whale watching businesses have committed to Save the Whales: Reloaded, representing
27 countries from every continent apart from Antartica.
 |
| Delegates at the World Whale Watch Conference |
“Despite the vote in 1982, the
world’s whales have not been saved and they are still not safe,” continued
Dylan Walker of Planet Whale. “Whilst
whaling is much reduced, it still remains, and these beautiful creatures are also
losing ground to a whole plethora of destructive issues, including over-fishing
and drowning in nets, pollution, habitat destruction, climate change and being
held captive for entertainment in aquariums. As a community we are
committed to our cause and our message today to all those involved in cruelty towards
cetaceans and destruction of their natural habitats is clear: we will not stop
until you stop.”
 |
| Save the Whales - public map their Areas of Concern for whales |
Planet Whale is also inviting
the public to support Save the Whales:
Reloaded and help identify the next generation of Marine Protected
Areas. Visitors to last weekend’s
WhaleFest 2012 event in Brighton mapped out an astonishing 1,000 areas of the
oceans which they would like to see ring fenced for the protection of wild
whale and dolphin communities. Created
using an innovative free online mapping tool, these maps will be combined with
others drawn by people across the globe to ensure members of the public,
governments, charities and other stakeholders all have a say in the future
protection of the oceans.
About Planet Whale
Planet Whale is a global online
platform designed to bring together all those interested in the conservation
and welfare of whales and dolphins.
Launched in 2010 by whale enthusiasts
Dylan Walker and Ian Rowlands, the aim of Planet Whale is to inspire change
through a global partnership, harnessing the ideas and passions of individuals
across the world to protect whales and dolphins on a global scale.
The website provides an accessible
network through which stakeholders can continue the ‘Save the Whales: Reloaded’
concept. The community of whale watchers, operators, businesses and charities
can use their collective power to deliver innovative campaigns across the
world.
For
further information and the full list of organisations committed to Save the
Whales: Reloaded please contact:
Karoline Peach, Kate Dwyer or Jessica Beales
Midnight Communications
Tel: 01273 666 200
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The
Southern Ocean Sanctuary was adopted by the International Whaling Commission in
1994 to provide long-term protection for a substantial portion of the world's
remaining whales by protecting their feeding grounds, yet today more whales are
hunted here by the Japanese whaling fleet than in any other location on Earth.
Says Erich Hoyt, WDC Research Fellow and author of Marine Protected Areas for Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises: “This
area has three ecotypes of Killer Whales, Minke and other whales, penguins,
seals and seabirds in one of the most productive ecosystems on Earth.”
This week the world’s eyes are trained on the Southern Ocean where, in Hobart,
Australia, the fate of the proposed 2.4 million km2 Ross Sea Region
Marine Reserve and Antarctic reserve network is being decided. Every country
member of CCAMLR — the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Living
Marine Resources, the body charged with setting up marine reserves in Antarctic
waters — must agree to make it happen.
Since 1970 Hector's dolphin numbers have dropped by more than three quarters. Maui's dolphins, a subspecies of Hector's dolphins off new Zealand's North Island, have been decimated to around 55 individuals and are facing imminent extinction.
At current population levels, Maui's dolphins can only cope with one death due to human activities every 10-23 years, but around five Maui's dolphins die in fishing nets each year. That's 75 times more than the sustainable limit.
"Saving hector's and Maui's dolphins is a race against time. They simply can't hang on much longer and need actuion now" says Barbara Maas, head of International Species Conservation at NABU International. "The New Zealand government is refusing to afford Maui's and Hector's dolphin's the necessary protection. Current and newly proposed protection measures are not nearly enough to allow them to recover."
The world‘s largest conservation
assembly, the IUCN World Conservation Congress recently passed a motion that
urges New Zealand to extend protection of Maui‘s and Hector‘s dolphins against
gillnetting and trawling to a depth of 100 meters offshore to include their
entire range. The motion was adopted with 117 governmental and 459 NGO votes in
favour. New Zealand alone voted against it.
“Scientists are optimistic
that Maui’s can recover if human induced mortality is eliminated”, says Maas.
“In line with the IUCN World Conservation Congress’s recommendations, we stand
together and call on the New Zealand government to protect Hector‘s and Maui‘s
dolphins immediately and fully against harmful fishing methods before it’s too
late. If New Zealand fails on this critical conservation challenge, it will
damage the country’s reputation forever.”
The New Zealand government has
opened a public consultation on the protection of the last 55 Maui's dolphins
which runs until 22 November. This process gives everyone the
opportunity to have their say by sending a submission through the website www.hectorsdolphins.com.
Forty
seven charities, businesses and delegates at the World Whale Conference have
now added their support to the Free Morgan Foundation to save a wild orca from
captivity as part of the Save the Whales: Reloaded campaign.
Alone and starving, this young
female wild orca was recently taken into captivity. Now called Morgan,
she has been subjected to attacks and bullying from other orca. Morgan is
showing signs of severe stress and abnormal behaviours as a result of being subjected
to inhumane conditions. Originally captured under the guise of
rehabilitation and release, she is being kept because the entertainment
industry desperately needs a new blood line for their extremely inbred captive
orca population.
Held at the entertainment Park, Loro
Parque, in the Canary Islands, Spain, Morgan is made to perform circus
tricks for a paying audience. Yet between shows trainers neglect and
ignore her and just standby whilst the other orca attack her. Morgan is
not provided veterinarian care for her resulting wounds.
More than 5,500 whales and
dolphins have died in captivity. In the wild, the average age for orca is
more than 30 years with some orca known to live well past 80, however, in
captivity the average life span is less than 9 years. Morgan has been in
captivity for just over two years, but she has spent more of her life in the
open ocean than in a tank. There is a comprehensive release plan in place
to help Morgan return to her family in Norway.
