The WWF charity feels lack of conservation measures are the main cause of small whales disappearing from the world’s oceans and waterways through fishing, pollution and habitat loss. These inadequate methods are now pushing dolphins, porpoises and smaller whales towards extinction as they receive much less political attention than the larger members of the species.
Larger whales have been under increased protection since 1986 due to the International Whaling Commission, but smaller cetacean hunts still continue around the globe. 40 of the 69 small cetacean species are now classified as ‘data deficient’, which means there is not enough information available to determine their population or record losses.
Species Policy Officer at WWF-UK, Heather Sohl, said –
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. 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. 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.
Small cetaceans fulfill a critical role in our environment, stabilising a healthy and productive ecosystem, whilst also being part of the highly profitable whale and dolphin watching industry which generates over US $1.5 billion worldwide each year.
