- Killings of small whales, porpoises and dolphins are rising, with more than 100,000 of these marine mammals slaughtered each year, according to a new report from German and British NGOs.
- Many regions report increased catches driven by demand for dolphin meat as food and shark bait in areas impacted by economic crisis and dwindling fish stocks.
- Failure to address unsustainable exploitation of small cetaceans exacerbates ecological imbalance and heavy metal toxicity risks to humans who eat them, according to the report.
- Insufficient legislation and enforcement remain critical issues, according to the report, which calls for international collaboration and stronger protection measures.
More than 100,000 dolphins, porpoises and small whales are killed annually, according to a new review from German and British NGOs Pro Wildlife and Whale and Dolphin Conservation. This update on a 2018 assessment by the same authors reveals concerning failures to curb the rising slaughter of small cetaceans.
“Most people think that whaling and hunting of dolphins, small whales and porpoises must surely be a thing of the past,” Erich Hoyt, co-chair of the IUCN’s Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force, who was not involved in writing the report, told Mongabay. “It’s not.”
The report, released in February, reviews more than 230 research studies, NGO reports and news stories covering 58 species. It indicates deaths “now well above” the 100,000 estimated in 2018, based on increases in reported small cetacean catch in 12 countries, But the report doesn’t give a precise death toll. The exact number of animals killed is unknown because many hunts are illegal and go unreported, Sandra Altherr, head scientist at Pro Wildlife and co-author of the review, told Mongabay.
“What we can say for sure is that … some populations could be wiped out in just a few years if the hunting does not stop,” she said.
Full article is here
