Education

WDCS And Year Of The Dolphin

As of January 1st 2009, the Year of the Dolphin campaign is officially over. The YoD Partners received support and input from all over the world and would like to thank all those involved for their efforts, making this a truly global initiative.

Wild dolphins are intrinsically tied to our cultural history and awareness. Inhabiting the world’s oceans and rivers, these nomads are a living treasure of our blue planet. However, their survival is becoming increasingly difficult and inperiled. To survive the 21st century, wild dolphins need clean and quiet oceans, marine protected areas and people who care. It must also be kept in mind that, ultimately, human survival too depends on intact ecosystems and biodiversity. The UN Convention on Migratory Species, together with its specialized agreements on dolphin conservation ACCOBAMS and ASCOBANS and the WDCS, the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, declared 2007 the Year of the Dolphin.

The United Nations, Governments, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs and the private sector, namely TUI, are building a strong alliance to achieve a common objective: to protect wild dolphins and create an ocean home that is safe from harm. Crucial elements in achieving this are educating to create awareness of dolphin species and their situation, alerting and informing decision makers and involving local communities in grassroots action. Therefore, the Year of the Dolphin will be part of the UN Decade on Education for Sustainable Development. The campaign is also a tangible contribution towards meeting the goal of curbing the loss of wildlife by 2010, which all Governments have agreed on through the UN.

The Patron of the Year of the Dolphin in 2007 was H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. "The Year of the Dolphin gives me the opportunity to renew my firm commitment towards protecting marine biodiversity. With this great initiative we can make a difference to save these fascinating marine mammals from the brink of extinction." - H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco

What was the YoD campaign about?

The Year of the Dolphin campaign focuses on raising awareness of dolphins in the wild, the threats they face to their survival and actions that could help with their conservation and the protection of their habitats and ecosystems. As the campaign was developed under the aegis of the UNEP Convention on Migratory Species of Wild Animals, whose mandate is the conservation of migratory wildlife, the campaign does not address or deal with captivity issues.

In 2008, the campaign  kept educating and raising awareness, while also focusing on the support of select conservation projects.

Welcome to the Year of the Dolphin Website

• Under YOD WDCS has helped launch the Pier2Pier Campaign in the USA
• YOD and WDCS addressed the issue of live captures of dolphins destined for the Dominican Republic