Disappearing dolphins clamour for attention at whale summit
24 Jun 2009
Madeira, Portugal: Small whales are disappearing from the world’s oceans and waterways as they fall victim to fishing gear, pollution, and habitat loss – compounded by a lack of conservation measures such as those developed for great whales, according to a new WWF report.
The report, Small cetaceans: The Forgotten Whales, released today, states that inadequate conservation measures are pushing small cetaceans – such as dolphins, porpoises and small whales – toward extinction as their survival is overshadowed by efforts to save their larger cousins.
A big disadvantage smaller cetacean species face compared to great whales is a crippling lack of data on their numbers and habits. Forty of the 69 small cetacean species are classified by IUCN as ‘data deficient’, meaning scientists cannot even determine whether they are threatened or not.
“It must never be assumed that “Data Deficient” means that the species is out of danger— rather, it means that the world’s top scientists just don’t know,” the report says.
Even those not classified by the IUCN as data deficient - like Australia’s rare snubfin dolphin which is listed as near threatened – could be in trouble. The data is so poor for the snubfin that scientists cannot tell whether numbers are increasing or decreasing. This is true for 60 of the 69 small cetacean species. The nine species where population trends are known are all in decline.
“Although great whale species of the world are by no means secure and still require conservation attention, the situation is just as critical for these smaller, seemingly forgotten species,” said Mr Rob Nicoll, Antarctic and Southern Ocean Initiative Manager, WWF-Australia.
While great whales are protected to an extent by the international commercial whaling moratorium, in effect since 1986, small cetacean hunts continue around the globe, largely unmanaged and unchecked by the international community.
For example, the hunt of 16,000 Dall’s porpoises every year in Japan is considered unsustainable by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) Scientific Committee. Yet several of the pro-whaling nations taking part in the IWC meeting this week object to discussing small cetacean conservation.
“It is time for the IWC and its members to take full responsibility for the conservation future of all whales great and small. The IWC – and the world - must not ignore the small whales of our planet until it is too late,” said Mr Nicoll.
“If small cetaceans are not central to negotiations on current whaling, it is possible that conservation successes achieved for great whales could simply result in a shift of problems from great whales to small cetaceans,” the report states.
Notes to editors: IWC 61 runs June 22 to 26 in Madeira, Portugal. B-roll, images etc to be made available at www.panda.org/iwc
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Alvin Stone, WWF-Australia Media Officer
Phone: 02 8202 1259, Mobile: 0410 221 068
Email: astone@wwf.org.au
