Working together with Sea Life,
WDCS campaign to stop the threats, educate and inform the public and support
and advise governments and organizations on important issues surrounding the
whale, backed up by scientific, legal and ethical arguments.
Despite
there being an international ban on commercial whaling, since 1986 30,000
whales have been killed. Japan, Norway and Iceland kill more than 2,000 whales
each year for their meat and the international trade in whale products is
expanding, there is also a growing pressure for the ban to be lifted. WDCS
together with SEA LIFE are fighting for a final end to whaling, deeming it
cruel, unsustainable and unnecessary.
As well as working to stop
illegal whaling SEA LIFE along with WDCS believe that whales should not be kept
in captivity of any kind. The captivity industry threatens whale populations in
the wild and inflicts cruelty on thousands of individual whales as they suffer;
confined in an natural environment and unable to roam freely, forced to live a
life of deprivation. WDCS are forming a petition aimed at MEPs to persuade them
to shut down whale attractions in Europe and are campaigning for tougher
regulations to protect both whales and dolphins and to educate the public of
the impacts of captivity.
WDCS are committed to protecting
the seas and oceans where the whales and dolphins live to ensure their future
and are working on creating 12 large safe havens for the whales and dolphins
over the next few years around the world. These Marine Protected Areas will
protect vulnerable and endangered populations and there will be a safe haven
area in the UK at the Hebrides which is home to the minke whale, as well as
numerous dolphins and basking sharks.
Many fund-raising events are held
throughout the year with July and August being important months for the public
to make a stand and help these animals by raising money through sponsored abseiling,
a sponsored 3-5 mile family walk called Walk for Whales and Save the Whales
Week which hopes to raise £10,000 in sponsorship money and fund-raising this
year.
At the Oban Seal Sanctuary they
are running a Save the Whale event from 4th-11th August 2012
with fun activities for kids and educational talks for parents to highlight the
whales plight. The Walk for Whales event which starts from the 11 SEA LIFE
Sanctuaries in the UK is expected to be held on Sunday 7th July in 2013.
Don't worry if you have missed any
of these events though as there are still things you can do to support the
whales and the work that WDCS do whether you donate money, sponsor a whale or
become a WDCS member.