What does this have to do with the dolphins in the wild? Well, thinking that dolphins are non-human people means to consider them beings with rights protected by the laws in a similar way to humans, that is, they must be treated as equals and not as inferiors, which questions their capture and slaughter, as it should be considered murder. In this way, the captivity of dolphins ideally would be reduced.

Ethics as a philosophy prizes the right of people’s freedom and this should be the same in the Animal Kingdom, but it has not been so, and many dolphins have spent their lives, sometimes their whole, living in harsh conditions and without the possibility to experience the freedom of their species.

Life in captivity is not as fun as it seems in dolphinariums.

While even the best aquariums restrain freedom, we have to be aware that not all places that keep dolphins have the best conditions for them. In general, life in captivity is not as fun as it seems in top notch dolphinariums. In fact, there are some differences between dolphins living in those facilities and dolphins in the wild. These discrepancies seem to be always better for free dolphins which make us think that all animals are born free, and although humans use them for various purposes, usually with an ulterior economic end, life in the wild is ideal for them because:

To start with the most evident, free dolphins have hundreds of miles to swim in the ocean, explore and live for a long time. Captive dolphins have ponds or water bodies of several meters, which they can not leave unless their holders decide otherwise, very much like a prison. What about those dolphins that instinctively perform migrations?

Free dolphins born, grow, reproduce and die according to their nature and instincts. Captive dolphins are forced to do several things, for example, they may be induced to mate, to consume a certain food or behave in a particular way.

Free Dolphins retain their physical characteristics unless they are injured, but in captivity, they exhibit an atrophied dorsal fin, that is, it bends downward, perhaps because they spend only 20 percent of their time underwater compared to the 80 percent of the time that free individuals spend.

Normally dolphins have a relatively long life in their natural habitat, but in captivity, both the longevity and the chances of survival reduce. These cetaceans may die during their capture or their transfer as a result of an inadequate supervision of the transport structures or as a result of accidents. In general, captive dolphins live fewer years than their free counterparts.

Dolphins Swimming in the Ocean.

Although dolphins can resist the transportation, their anatomy is not designed to withstand the weight of their body caused by gravity on land. Internal organs or bones like the rib cage can get damaged by carrying them out of the water.

There is no certainty about the proper treatment of captive dolphins unless specific investigations are performed. Therefore, it all depends on the conscious of the people who capture them. While not all are ruthless, we know the where money is involved, some people sacrifice the security and comfort of the dolphins to get higher profits.

Some people argue that in captivity dolphins are safe from predators such as killer whales and sharks, that they have guaranteed food every day and that they have the medical attention of professional veterinarians in case of injury or illness. However, we must not forget that they are animals perfectly adapted to the aquatic life and all that this entails, like the large space in the ocean, the diversity of food and the chance of socializing.

The social life of dolphins and the tight bonds between them is also a major concern for dolphins in captivity as confined they have no contact with other mates or at most with a few of them also in the same conditions.

Conservationists argue strongly about all this, but the release of the captive dolphins is still unlikely.

Humans are a sociable species, we also depend on relations and connections with others to survive, and we all know that most lonely people is not happy and sometimes they have depression and other consequences related to that loneliness. As we are aware, one of the main characteristics of dolphins is their social behavior, so the answer to this is pretty obvious. Dolphins belong to the wild.

WILD DOLPHINS

While the demand for dolphins increases for attractions like swim with dolphins or Dolphin Assisted Therapy (DAT) programs, more and more dolphins are kept in captivity.

Some scientists claim that dolphin research is progressing in great strides, but critics believe that keeping wild dolphins in captivity is cruel and should be stopped.

When contrasting wild dolphins to dolphins in captivity, there are vast differences in behavior, but the high cost of studying wild dolphins has made that scientific data available comes mainly from those in captivity.

Wild dolphins can travel up to 40 miles every day and are constantly on the move, foraging for food, playing and fighting within their pods. Sometimes they submerge to great depths and are hard to follow.

The need for continuous movement of Wild dolphins is one of the reasons that critics of captivity use as arguments to request the release of these dolphins.

The process to capture wild dolphins has traumatic effects on them. Statistics show that 53% of the dolphins that survive the process will die within the first three months.

DOLPHINS IN CAPTIVITY

Regardless that the dolphins we see in captivity seem to be happy, scientists believe that their boredom eventually leads to their premature deaths. Dolphins in captivity, spend only 20% of their time under the surface contrasting with the dolphins in the wild that can be up to 80%.

Activities like beaching themselves in aquatic shows are against their nature because the dolphins in the wild would never beach themselves. Scientists believe that this is extremely harmful because resting on their bellies over a hard surface, will eventually damage their internal organs.

At least 50% of the dolphins in captivity will die in less than seven years. Chlorine poisoning, diseases, and stress-related illnesses are the main reasons that cause the death of those in captivity.

Sometime during the capture process, dolphins are herded towards the shore, separating those still swimming with their mothers from the pod. They are then trussed in a sling and carried from the water to a transport vehicle. Research proves this procedure is very traumatic to dolphins.

US government researchers have found that mortality rates in bottlenose dolphins rise six-fold immediately after capture.

Experience have shown that Dolphins in captivity do not live more than a few years. However, better caring procedures and advanced veterinary medicine, have helped them to live longer, sometimes as long as the dolphins in the wild. Scientists have not figured out yet why dolphins in captivity live less, as most wild animals in captivity, protected from their natural predators will always outlive their counterparts in their natural environments.

Many animal conservation groups are demanding the release of dolphins in captivity, but while there is profit involved, this will be difficult to achieve.

References

Use of Marine Mammals in Swim-with-the-dolphin Programs (FL,HI): Environmental Impact Statement, Volume 1. 1990.

http://us.whales.org/wdc-in-action/end-captivity

http://us.whales.org/faqs/captivity

Janet Mann. Cetacean Societies: Field Studies of Dolphins and Whales. University of Chicago Press, 2000.

Think for a moment: where is your garbage going? Where is your residual water going? What is your pollution footprint on the planet?

Do you know that some dolphin species are in danger of extinction? Although it seems obvious because there is a long list of animals which are in such condition, the truth is that many people ignore the critical preservation condition in which many dolphin species are.

Dolphins live in an environment in which threats from predators, although rare, are possible. Thanks to their complex social structure and their sense of echolocation, they can usually circumvent the risks that killer whales (even though these are dolphins) and sharks represent, however, the human activities have had a powerful impact on these animals.

Yes, some of the cute and friendly dolphins are in danger of extinction and others go the same way if we do not act now. And yes, it is humanity who must act because they have the greatest responsibility in the situation. Do you help protect dolphins?

About ten species of dolphins are in a severe danger of extinction.

STEPS TO THE END

According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), all species have a level of danger or conservation. This organization makes this assessment classifying animals after a study that reveals their status on the planet and ranks them in one of the categories: Not Evaluated, Data deficient, Least Concern, Vulnerable, Near Threatened, Endangered, Critically Endangered, Extinct in Wild and Extinct.

An animal is in danger if it has a classification in the Red List starting from the Vulnerable category. However, the first two categories are also worrying, since ignorance implies the lack of actions, that is, if a species classification is Data Deficient, could be threatened, but we just do not know it, and there are not strategies to preserve it.

SOME DOLPHINS FALLING IN THIS STATUS ARE:

– Commerson’s Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus commersonii). Data Deficient.
– Heaviside’s (Cephalorhynchus heavisidii). Data Deficient.
– Long-beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus capensis). Data Deficient.
– Clymene dolphin (Stenella clymene). Data Deficient.
– Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis). Data Deficient.

For its part, the Burrunan dolphin (Tursiops australis) it is the only one that does not have any classification.

SEVERELY THREATENED DOLPHINS

About ten species of dolphins are at serious risk. The number seems small, but we must take into account that the number of species of dolphins is around 43, so we are close to 25%. One of every four species of dolphins is close to extinction.

A particular case is the Baiji or Chinese river dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer), a species that inhabited only the Yangtze River in China. For a long time, the population gradually reduced as result of pollution and bycatch, and nobody took action, and when a river inspection was carried out in 2006, the researchers did not find a single dolphin.

As result of this investigation the species Lipotes vexillifer was declared to be functionally extinct, and although probably there were only a few specimens not seen by scientists at that time, the species will not be able to recover. In 2007 there was a report of a sighting, but although there is no confirmation of this, it is possible that there are a few river dolphins alive yet.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the most threatened dolphins are:

– Baiji or Chinese river dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer). Critically Endangered.
– Hector’s Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori). Endangered.
– Ganges River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica) and Indus River dolphin (Platanista gangetica minor). Both Endangered.
– Chilean dolphin (Cephalorhynchus eutropia). Near Threatened.
– Australian snubfin dolphin (Orcaella Heinsohni). Near Threatened.
– Chinese white dolphin (Sousa chinensis). Near Threatened.
Sousa chinensis includes the subspecies Sousa chinensis chinensis and Sousa chinensis plumbea.
– Atlantic Humpback Dolphin (Sousa teuszii). Vulnerable.
– La Plata dolphin (Pointporia blainvillei). Vulnerable.
– Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris). Vulnerable.

As can be seen, there are several river dolphins in the list, which is a major problem for their recovery, as their distribution is very limited, the rivers are more polluted than the ocean, and river populations are usually smaller than the oceanic ones.

THE FUTURE OF THREATENED DOLPHINS

This scenario should not be underestimated. The rate of exploitation and reduction of the populations is no longer sustainable, and if some other dolphin species get extinct, this will create imbalances in the food chain, as these animals are at the top of the chain.

Some dolphins have an uncertain future, but the positive side of all this is that there are people concerned and not only that but also working actively to protect these animals. If you want to know the specific strategies implemented to attack the problem, visit the Dolphins conservation strategies article.

THREATS AND DANGERS TO DOLPHIN SURVIVAL.

Wild dolphins face some natural dangers in the ocean. However, the most overwhelming threats to their existence are the consequences of human activities.

Some dolphin species are in danger of becoming extinct, and alarming statistics suggest that illegal dynamite fishing, entanglement in fishing nets, collisions with boats and propellers, marine pollution, disease and beaching due to sonar interference, kill an increasing number of dolphins every year.

Research suggests that over 95% of dolphin deaths are directly attributable to anthropogenic causes.

SOME OF THE DOLPHIN THREATS RELATED TO MAN ARE:

INCREASING CAPTIVITY

The capture of dolphins for research and entertainment is contributing to their mortality at an alarming rate. Conservationists insist that the capture process itself is resulting in more deaths and the transportation, the exposure to diseases in captivity tanks, are added dangers that dolphins have to face when extracted from their natural environment.

The increased popularity of swimming with dolphins programs have brought more dolphins into captivity.

UNSTOPPABLE CHEMICAL POLLUTION

Another threat to dolphins in the wild is the contamination of their natural habitat from oil, chemical and heavy metal pollutants which cause them illness and higher infant mortality rates.

Since dolphins are at the top of the food chain, the impact of contamination on them is even higher as they eat fish and animals contaminated in different places.

NOISE POLLUTION.

Noise pollution is also a dangerous threat to dolphins in the wild.
Activities like oil drilling, navigational sonars, and even ship engines create continuous streams of underwater sounds that can disorient or even damage their hearing capabilities.

SEA TRAFFIC

Another cause of death are the injuries suffered by the entanglement in cages, shark safety nets and fishing nets as well as collisions with ships and propellers.

The increasing maritime traffic produces this kind of inconvenience for all the marine life.

NATURAL CAUSES.

In addition to anthropogenic threats, wild dolphins are also victims of predators. Regardless they are at the top of the food chain. Still, they have to compete with sharks and larger toothed whales for food.

The effect of Global Warming or seasonal weather changes has reduced their food sources, impacting the survival of dolphins in the wild.

References

Erich Hoyt. Marine Protected Areas for Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises: A World Handbook for Cetacean Habitat Conservation and Planning. Routledge, 2012.

seethewild.org/dolphin-threats/

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2011/sep/28/hectors-dolphins-near-extinction

Judith S Weis. Physiological, Developmental and Behavioral Effects of Marine Pollution. Springer Science & Business Media, 2013.

Judith S. Weis. Marine Pollution: What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford University Press, 2015.

]]> https://www.dolphins-world.com/dolphin-conservation-efforts/ Wed, 26 Apr 2017 05:31:03 +0000 http://www.dolphins-world.com/?p=62 Dolphin Threats and Conservation

All the animal species in the world are an important part of the Earth’s ecosystem, and dolphins are no exception. However, some species of these cetaceans have a difficult time, full of dangers that have put many of them on the brink of extinction.

WHY PROTECT DOLPHINS?

From an ethical point of view, all species deserve to survive in nature and have an optimal life without suffering; From a biological perspective, their disappearance causes irregularities in the food chain that affects other natural processes, even affecting us indirectly.

Their presence in the world is not appreciated as it should be. Dolphins may have an image of friendly and charming animals, but probably their existence is not believed necessary for the survival of other life forms. Would life on Earth be the same without them?

The truth is that dolphins are an inherent part of the cultural history of humanity. They have accompanied humans on their sea voyages for thousands of years, and such presence appears in many artistic expressions of both ancient and modern cultures. They are part of the tiny group of animals that can approach voluntarily to humans, with no intention of doing harm. They can even save human lives, as has been reported throughout history.

Dolphins are indicators of the health of the ocean biome as their presence or absence can give an idea of ​​the general state of these areas.

Dolphins play a significant role in the balance of the ecosystems. Its high position in the food chain allows them to feed on small prey that can be old or diseased. In these cases, dolphins “clean” the area and thus prevent the spread of diseases. Likewise, their non-existence in a zone can have consequences such as the appearance of pests as there are no species that feed on lower-level animals in the food chain. In this sense, dolphins are also indicators of the health of the ocean biome as their presence or absence can give an idea of ​​the general condition of an area.

What about their intelligence? Dolphins have given humans lots of knowledge about their lives that have supported the development of studies, devices, and programs applied to human life. Understanding their echolocation is useful in scientific and military programs, and their intelligence and complex communication skills are the subjects of scientific interest, and some envision the design of a form of communication between humans and dolphins. The possibilities are endless.

WHAT ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORT DOLPHIN CONSERVATION?

Many governmental and non-governmental organizations that support marine life are responsible for protecting dolphin species. Some target mainly some particular species and others include other cetaceans such as whales and porpoises. All organizations work with different strategies and programs, but with the common goal of protecting dolphins.

The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society is one of those international, non-profit organizations that works to protect and save lives of whales, dolphins, and porpoises to offer them a great future. This group operates in association with the CMS (Convention on Migratory Species), an agency in charge of protecting terrestrial, airborne and marine migratory species, including dolphins.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is one of the largest organizations in this area. It protects all odontocete cetaceans, including dolphins. Its Appendices I, II and III contain species in different degrees of protection, where the III includes the species with the highest level of risk. Many dolphins are in Appendix II, which includes animals that need to regulate their trade or soon will be in danger of extinction.

The International Whaling Commission, on its side, instructs its members to report dolphin catches for the production of reports to support research on these cetaceans.

Responsibility does not lie entirely with these organizations. Many countries also sponsor the welfare of these animals and have strategies to conserve them. In the United States, the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act is an agreement administered by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) which includes the illegality of harassment, feeding, appropriation, killing or any other harm to Marine mammals in US waters.

Asian freshwater dolphins are in a severe danger of extinction despite that the Authorities tried to counteract the problem. For example, India declared the dolphin its national animal in an attempt to emphasize the conservation of the Ganges River dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica). There, they created the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary. In China, the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society is a non-governmental organization that performs various protection activities.

CAN ANYONE HELP WITH DOLPHIN CONSERVATION?

Anyone interested in the future of dolphins and the balance of the natural ecosystems can contribute to the preservation of dolphins, either directly or indirectly. The following conservation strategies are useful and easy to do if you want to help:

Anyone can contribute to the preservation of dolphins.

Reduce the use of plastic bags and other products. Once in the water, these objects become deadly weapons that can be ingested by many animals or injure them.

Use natural or biodegradable cleaning products that avoid water pollution in the habitat of dolphins.

Buy tuna labeled “Dolphin Safe,” Which indicates that the fishers used dolphin-safe nets.

In general, implementing the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle; diminishes water pollution.

Participate in coastal cleaning programs.

Avoid going to Dolphinariums could help to reduce the capture of wild dolphins since some have unpleasant experiences when caught to end their life in captivity.

Do not feed wild dolphins. Food for humans is not healthy for dolphins and could change their eating behavior.

Work in organizations and conservation programs of dolphins, as much as possible.

Protect dolphins, and nature will thank you.

DOLPHIN CONSERVATION EFFORTS

Dolphins are at risk mainly due to anthropogenic causes. In all the bodies of water where they reside, humans have contributed to contaminate them with plastic, chemicals, and oil. These forms of pollution can harm the dolphins internally, but they can also kill their food resources, so it becomes harder every day for dolphins to find enough to survive.

Additionally, commercial fishing is another significant danger to dolphins because they get caught in nets or other devices, besides further reducing food availability.

Humans and their water-related activities such as recreational activities or maritime traffic are extremely common in the areas where dolphins live. The risk of injury or death from being struck by boats and propellers is very likely.

In some regions, the intentional catch of dolphins for their meat and oil is also common. While only a small population of people consume them, there is a market for it, that result in many of them needlessly killed every single year. Some of the conservation efforts have involved putting pressure on the governments of those countries to ban such hunting.

Dolphins have very sensitive skin. Many debris and garbage in the water that humans put there can rip their skin and make them vulnerable to bacteria or infections. They are already prone to a variety of diseases and parasites, so this makes them more susceptible.

The noise that dolphins experience including naval sonar, explosions in the water, construction, and boats can all contribute to high levels of stress for dolphins.

There are some conservation efforts in place to preserve dolphins so that they can survive. However, some species like the Ganges River Dolphin are considered to be critically endangered or already extinct at this point.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973 both offer dolphins some protection, but it isn’t enough.

In 1984, amendments were made to the Marine Mammal Protection Act so that there could be more protection for dolphins. Commercial tuna fishing is a huge risk for dolphins because they follow this fish, so the Department of Commerce banned imports of tuna from fishing fleet locations that didn’t have methods in place to reduce dolphin incidental kill rates that were comparable to those of the USA. However, by 1988 those dolphin deaths in other locations around the world were still four times higher than those in the USA.

Many environmental protection groups boycotted the purchase of tuna to help make a stand against it. The three principal companies that owned 70% of the market (Bumble Bee, Starkist, and Ralston) voluntarily offered a dolphin-safe only policy. They refused to buy the tuna from any entity that didn’t have safety practices in place to protect dolphins. Even though, bycatch is at is peak now.

The Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act implemented in 1990, provided, further protection to dolphins regarding commercial tuna capture. The International Dolphin Conservation Act passed in 1992 was a five-year strategy to prohibit fleets from capture dolphins in nets.

References

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/laws/mmpa/

http://savedolphins.eii.org/campaigns/sjd

Michael E. Soulé. Marine Conservation Biology: The Science of Maintaining the Sea’s Biodiversity. Island Press, 2005.

http://wilddolphin.org/you.html

Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, Rules Promulgation and Proposed Issuance of Permits to Commercial Fishermen: Environmental Impact Statement. 1974.