Our 2021 Accomplishments for Whales and Dolphins

By David Phillips, Executive Director

Looking back at 2021, the International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute achieved important protections for whales, dolphins, and their marine homes.

Your support has been key to these and many other successes, and we thank you for your donations and your generous help in 2021.

Restoration of Monument Protections: IMMP celebrated the decision by President Biden to restore the ban on commercial fishing for the Northeast Canyons & Seamounts Marine National Monument. IMMP had planned to sue the Trump administration had they opened Pacific marine national monuments to commercial fishing as they promised, but eventually the administration did not take action. We continue efforts to ensure that other environmental regulations are strengthened by the Biden administration, such as weakened regulations on endangered species.

Plastics Lawsuit: Earth Island’s & IMMP’s lawsuit against ten major plastics companies made progress in court, winning a major ruling that keeps the lawsuit in California state court, where laws are stronger than the federal statutes.

President Putin Endorses Ban on Captures of Wild Cetaceans: Russia’s President put his endorsement on the record in a press conference, where he readily agreed that a ban on catching wild dolphins and whales for entertainment in captivity was appropriate. “Let’s go ahead and do it,” he said. IMMP is working with grassroots Russian conservationists to make sure the ban passes the Russian Duma (Parliament).

Tuna Recovery: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced that several tuna species improved in numbers, in part due to IMMP’s Dolphin Safe program, which led tuna companies to target skipjack tuna, a healthy population that does not associate with dolphins.

Offshore Oil Drilling/Bahamas: IMMP celebrated with activists in the Bahamas when offshore oil drilling came up with no commercially viable oil reserves. IMMP continues to push for a permanent ban on drilling.

Our Russian Friends Disentangle 64 Northern Fur Seals: IMMP’s Russian friends once again journeyed to Russia’s Tyuleniy (Seal) Island, where last year they were able to catch and remove plastic netting and cargo straps from the necks of 28 fur seals. This year, they were able to disentangle 64 seals, as well as train several Russian veterinarians in techniques. IMMP helped facilitate training for Russian conservationists in the US in disentanglement techniques.

Irrawaddy Dolphins in Philippines: IMMP’s Philippines office is working to establish several marine protected areas for the endangered Irrawaddy dolphin to help reduce entanglement in fishing gear and decrease underwater noise.

IMMP Support for CCTV: IMMP with Friend of the Sea launched efforts to have closed circuit television cameras installed on tuna purse seine vessels to help enforce Dolphin Safe standards and confirm government observer claims that no dolphins were killed or injured during tuna fishing.

Galapagos/Cocos Swimway: IMMP endorsed the expansion of the marine protected areas for the Galapagos Islands and the Cocos Islands to protect a swimway between the two areas to accommodate migrating sharks and sea turtles, as well as marine mammals. Ecuador recently announced the expansion of the Galapagos marine protected area to encompass its half of the swimway. Costa Rica recently expanded protection for areas around the Cocos Islands.

New Online Listings for Dolphin Safe Companies: IMMP conducted a major upgrade of our website, including new listings for Dolphin Safe tuna companies and an interactive map to find our more than 800 companies now listed.