WDCS in the North and Central West Atlantic

Noise and chemical pollution remain significant issues for the North and Central West Atlantic. Ship strikes are an increasing concern throughout this region. Many dolphins and small whales are still bycaught or deliberately targeted in the Central West Atlantic.

WDCS has invested considerable work in the development of the Cartagena Convention, and specifically the Protocol Concerning Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (SPAW), and looks forward to this Convention expanding its conservation work concerning whales, dolphins and porpoises in the region to look widely at all threats and consider multi-threat mitigation measures.

WDCS's historical contribution to this region has included conservation projects to protect:

• Blue whale off Mingan Island, Canada ;
• Harbour porpoise, Nova Scotia, Canada;
• Humpback whale east coast USA, also off the Cape Verde Islands, and the Caribbean;
• Blainville's beaked whale, Bahamas;
• Northern bottlenose whale, Nova Scotia, Canada;
• Northern right whale off the East Coast of Canada and the USA;
• Sperm whales of the North Atlantic; and
• Humpback whale, Gulf of Maine, USA.

Issues WDCS is currently working on in this region:

WDCS Species Programme

See A Spout The 'See a Spout' programme is a responsible whale watching product of WDCS, other NGOs and the USA's NOAA Fisheries and Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary (SBNMS) 2008-March-15

WDCS And Pier2Pier The journalism class of Plantation High School has joined the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS), as well as US state, federal and international partners, in a campaign to raise awareness among youth of threats to dolphins, manatees and the mar 2008-March-14

USA Fixed Gear Fisheries Depleted by whaling last century, it is entanglement in fishing lines which, alongside vessel strikes, is primarily responsible for the decline of the north atlantic right whale today. 2008-February-20

North Atlantic Right Whales Vessel strikes are one of the most common causes of death for critically endangered North Atlantic right whales off the east coast of the USA. 2008-February-20