Whales are intelligent, gentle giants and have inspired awe throughout the ages. Whale species are still recovering from the immense commercial whaling industry of the last century and today they still face more threats than ever before. Our goal is to create global sanctuaries that give our whales shelter, to reform fisheries to tackle bycatch, to protect whales from offshore development and pollution and give our whales a chance to recover from decades of whaling. AMCS also calls for strong international pressure to protect whales from commercial whaling by Japan, Norway and Iceland.
What’s Next?
Australia must continue to be a global leader in whale conservation whilst populations slowly recover from decades of whaling and the threat of commercial whaling remains in the northern hemisphere. Accidental strikes, plastic pollution, ocean noise from seismic testing, entanglement in nets and, in parts of the northern hemisphere, commercial whaling still threaten our whales. We must demand new whale sanctuaries and better conservation efforts to protect critical habitats and provide safe spaces for whales to breed and mature. To address the current threats facing our whales we must:
• Drastically slash carbon emissions to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees
• Tackle plastic pollution
• Enforce and improve fishing regulations to prevent the bycatch of whales
• Enforce go slow ship management in key areas for whales
• Ensure no seismic testing or industrial development in critical whale habitat
• Continue to uphold the international ban on whaling and call for the end of commercial whaling.
Together with whale lovers across Australia, we continue the fight to protect our intelligent, gentle giants from whaling and other threats.