World Dolphin Day is an international awareness day that is celebrated annually on September 12th. It was created by Sea Shepherd Global, an international marine conservation organization that has been fighting to defend dolphins and other marine wildlife for over 40 years.
The date of World Dolphin Day was chosen to commemorate the anniversary of the largest single slaughter of dolphins in recorded history. On September 12, 2021, an unprecedented white-sided dolphin hunt took place in the Faroe Islands: 1, 428 dolphins were caught and killed in a single day, including juveniles and pregnant females. This was nearly five times the average annual catch of white-sided dolphins in the Faroe Islands.
What are the main threats to dolphins?
Dolphins face many dangers from human activities that harm their health, habitat, and population. Some of the main threats are:
Hunting: Dolphins are hunted
for their meat, skin, oil, or teeth in some parts of the world, such as Japan,
Peru, Solomon Islands, and Faroe Islands. The hunting methods are often cruel
and indiscriminate, causing immense suffering and killing large numbers of dolphins
at once.
Bycatch: Dolphins are often
caught accidentally in fishing nets or hooks, where they suffocate or drown.
According to some estimates, more than 300,000 cetaceans (including dolphins
and whales) die every year as bycatch.
Pollution: Dolphins are exposed
to various pollutants that contaminate their water and food sources, such as
plastics, chemicals, heavy metals, and noise. These pollutants can cause
injuries, infections, diseases, reproductive problems, and behavioural changes
in dolphins.
Habitat destruction: Dolphins
depend on healthy and diverse marine habitats for their survival. However,
human activities such as coastal development, oil and gas exploration, mining,
and climate change are destroying or degrading their habitats, reducing their
food availability and quality.
There are many ways we can help
dolphins and make a difference in their future. By reducing waste and
pollution, we can work on an eco-friendly lifestyle that is already a big step
in helping marine life. We can also stop using plastic bags and grab our own
eco bags when we shop.
