How you helped protect dolphins in 2022

Action for Dolphins supporters helped fight cruel dolphin hunting, advocate for the removal of lethal nets, educate tourists about harmful hand-feeding, and much more.

Below are just a few ways our dolphin defenders  helped fight cruel dolphin hunting in 2022:

• Thanks to our lobbying efforts, a global airline selling dolphin and whale meat – All Nippon Airways – conducted an investigation in Taiji for the first time

• Off the back of our criminal complaint, the Wakayama Prefectural Police conducted an investigation into the selling of dolphin meat from Taiji due to high levels of mercury for the first time. Unfortunately, the Prosecutor’s Office decided not to indict the Taiji Fishermen’s Coop, but the police took our complaint seriously. This suggests we are not alone in claiming the selling of dolphin meat is unsafe and violates Japanese law. We will  appeal this decision in 2023

• We’ve collected evidence that dolphin meat sold on Yahoo! Japan’s website has mercury levels 97.5 times and 80 times higher than the safe limit set by the Japanese government

• Over 3,000 people called out Yahoo! Japan on social media for selling cruel and toxic dolphin meat online

• We are unpacking the complex and secretive live dolphin trade from Taiji and identified dolphin parks to target in 2023

With this momentum and increased pressure, we are one step closer to ending this cruel trade for good.

Credit: Unsplash.com Oleksandr Sushko

We know shark nets give ocean users a false sense of security and unnecessarily harm marine life. Importantly, QLD and NSW now deploy shark mitigation technologies – like drone surveillance and listening stations – that are more effective at protecting ocean users.

Thanks to our incredible supporters,  thousands more people know about this and are advocating for shark nets to be permanently removed. Importantly, these advocates include people that can make a difference, including politicians and independent scientific committees.

This is already having a massive impact. In 2022  NSW Local Governments passed a motion calling on the NSW government to back modern technologies and permanently remove shark nets.

Our supporters also helped to put up ferry ads and bus shelter ads on Minjerribah Island where the harmful and illegal hand-feeding of dolphins occurs, as well as taking direct action against Sea World’s breeding program during Empty the Tanks day.