Dolphin and Whale Trade: Top news
The International Marine Mammal Project opposes a new proposal in the Solomon Islands to catch 50 wild dolphins to sell to aquariums around the world. Captivity kills, and the captures of wild dolphins harms the environment that the people of the Solomon Islands depend on.
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Like many aquariums in Japan, Shimonoseki Aquarium has purchased live dolphins from the bloody dolphin hunts of Taiji, Japan. Live dolphins are torn from their families for a life in small concrete tanks, begging for food. Kunito Seko provides photos of these dolphins, performing tricks in sight of the freedom of the ocean.
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Breaking News: After several years of careful study, research on impacts, and construction plans, the Whale Sanctuary Project has been permitted by the Canadian government to build out the proposed Nova Scotia whale sanctuary, suitable for retiring captive orcas and beluga whales.
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Marineland in Ontario, Canada, was denied permits to export 30 captive beluga whales to China, so now the park is threatening to euthanize the belugas, rather than work with environmentalists to transfer the belugas to a seaside sanctuary. The New York Times reports.
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VICTORY: Thirty captive beluga whales have been blocked from being sold to China, thanks to the efforts of scientists, Canadian activists, and IMMP. Now the effort continues to transfer the belugas to seaside sanctuaries where they can be retired from doing tricks all day.
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The tragic slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan, continues. Kunito Seko, resident activist in Taiji and a skilled photographer, captured the tragedy in his photo of a young dolphin being grabbed by three dolphin hunters, to be torn from her family for a grim life in concrete tanks.
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On the first day of the dolphin hunting season, the Taiji hunters managed to catch and slaughter a whole pod of Risso's dolphins, including calves. WARNING: Graphic Images May be Disturbing.
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Hollywood is urging Japan to end the dolphin hunts in Taiji. The hunts begin again on Sept. 1st and goes for six months. Hundreds of dolphins are killed for meat, but the big payoff for the hunters comes from catching live dolphins for aquariums in China, Japan, and the Middle East.
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The Mexican Senate approved a sweeping law to phase out captivity and transfer captive dolphins to seaside sanctuaries. It is one of the most expansive laws in the world to protect whales and dolphins from captivity, but will it be enforced?
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Marineland in Niagara Falls is closing, and thank goodness. But 31 beluga whales are stranded in tanks in the park, and Marineland wants them to go. The International Marine Mammal Project is working to retire these belugas to seaside sanctuaries.
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Campaign Top News
- International Marine Mammal Project >
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From pushing for sanctuaries for Wikie & Keijo and 30 beluga whales, to opposing attempts to gut the Endangered Species and Marine Mammal Protection Acts, to protecting wetlands in the Barataria basin, the International Marine Mammal Project has accomplished a great deal in 2025 for whales and dolphins.
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What is it like being a student intern at the International Marine Mammal Project? An internship can be life-changing for a student. Our intern Jillian talks about her experience with IMMP.
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From battling the whaling industry in Japan and Iceland, to exposing the continued slaughter of dolphins in Taiji, Japan, to saving the lives of tens of thousands of dolphins annually through Dolphin Safe tuna, the International Marine Mammal Project has accomplished a lot in 2024.
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- Save Japan Dolphins >
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The Taiji dolphin drive hunts have again ended, killing hundreds of dolphins for meat after removing "show quality" animals for a miserable life in captivity. Numbers were slightly higher this year for slaughter, although historically low compared to recent years.
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Three species of dolphins have been captured and slaughtered over the past month as the bloody Taiji dolphin drive hunts continue. Most of the dolphins you see in these photos are now dead. The hunts end on March 1st, but six months later, they will begin again.
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A former dolphin trainer explains the damage done by dolphin and small whale captures in Taiji, Japan. Learn the facts about how the aquarium industry sources wild dolphins for a lifetime of misery in small concrete tanks.
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- Dolphin + Whale Project >
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With only 380 individual whales remaining, the North Atlantic right whale population will decline if the killing of whales continues. Here's the story of two right whales, Division and Porcia's calf, both victims of our modern society, too much in a hurry.
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Congress is considering passing HR 1897, legislation to comprehensively gut the federal Endangered Species Act, our most important wildlife law. You can help by urging your members of the House to vote NO on HR 1897.
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In 2024, 95 large whales were reported entangled during the year. As many as 10 to 20 times as many whales may have been entangled and sunk, never to be recorded. Here is the story of these tragic entanglements in plastic fishing gear.
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- Keiko Whale Rescue >
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Like most cetaceans, beluga whales do poorly in captivity. Many are now kept in aquariums around the world -- some get stranded once the aquarium or park goes broke and shuts down. Learn about the beluga whale, and why it is a bad idea to keep them in small concrete tanks.
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We are deeply saddened at the death of orca whale Tokitae. Calls for her release were denied for decades and it’s shameful that she never got a chance to go home.
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30 years ago, the movie "Free Willy" was a huge hit. The plight of its orca star, Keiko, touched the public along with the moving story. Read how the International Marine Mammal Project took that spark of concern and returned Keiko to his home waters. SeaWorld and other captive dolphin parks would never be the same!
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- Dolphin Safe Fishing >
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Every year, we estimate that the Dolphin Safe label on tuna cans saves the lives of 90,000 dolphins annually in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean, and many more in other oceans of the world. You, as a consumer, should know how the Dolphin Safe label works to protect dolphins in global tuna fisheries.
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A new Marine Mammal Protection Act has been proposed for the Philippines, with strong support from our IMMP Philippines office, with the support of Representative Co. Read about this new legislation to protect endangered species like the Irrawaddy dolphin and other Filipino whales and dolphins.
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Trixie Concepcion heads up our active office for dolphins in the Philippines. A major tuna fishing nation, plus an island nation with many local cetaceans, provides opportunities for Trixie and her staff to tackle major environmental issues in that country and the Western Pacific Ocean.
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- Freeing Orca Whales from Captivity >
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The orcas Wikie and her son Keijo are still trapped in Marineland in France. Marineland wants the orcas to go to Loro Parque Zoo, an aquarium in Spain with one of the worst records of captive orca deaths. IMMP is urging the French government to instead retire Wikie and Keijo to a seaside sanctuary in Nova Scotia.
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Captivity in small concrete aquarium tanks is hard and often fatal for whales and dolphins. Dr. Lori Marino and her colleagues have laid out the issues for cetaceans in captivity in a new scientific article, building a powerful scientific case for ending captivity for whales and dolphins.
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Four captive orcas died in their concrete tanks in 2025, never to see or feel the ocean ever again. This tragic death march will continue until all captive cetaceans are retired to seaside sanctuaries. Learn about Katina, Kshamenk, Earth, and Kamea -- all dead.
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- Freeing Wikie & Keijo >