Image: izanbar via Canva.com
Shutting down a Taiji dolphin meat supplier
Following our criminal complaint, Joreimaru Whale Specialty Store – which sold dolphin meat from Taiji – shut down its online sales, and as far as we could find, ceased to exist altogether.
Shutting down this key supplier of dolphin meat from the Taiji dolphin hunts is a huge win in the fight to disrupt the dolphin hunters’ supply chain.
Image: izanbar via Canva.com
Raising awareness about toxic levels of mercury in dolphin meat
Major publications spotlighted our findings of high mercury in dolphin meat, including The Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald, and VICE.
Our supporters made it possible for our on-the-ground investigator to collect this evidence and travel to Taiji to monitor a red cove day. This exposure is a vital part of building momentum behind our campaign to stop dolphin hunting in Taiji.
Image: Juan Jiminez via Canva.com
Exposing the connection between Taiji and Thailand
The trade of live dolphins from Taiji is extremely secretive but this year we uncovered a direct link between a marine park in Thailand and the Taiji hunts.
This gears us up for an advocacy campaign to try and end the dolphin trade between Thailand and Taiji, ultimately impacting the economic viability of the dolphin hunts.
Image: Jeremy Bishop via Canva.com
Advancing towards shark net removal in NSW
We’re closer than ever to seeing shark nets removed in New South Wales.
This year we advocated for shark nets to be permanently removed with key decision makers, co-authored a report about what an effective shark management program looks like, and raised public awareness about how technologies like drones and tagging and tracking programs are more effective at keeping people safe without harming marine life.
Image: Photon Photos via Canva.com
Highlighting the risks of feeding wild dolphins
Our campaign reached new heights with a high-impact ABC documentary. This exposure helped gain over 5,000 signatures on our petition urging the government to stop recruiting new dolphins into the feeding program in Monkey Mia, Western Australia.
The good news is the recruitment of dolphins is not working, with no new dolphins entering the program in 2023.
Image: izanbar via Canva.com
Calling for stronger nature laws in Australia
Joining forces with environmental organisations from around the country, we’re calling for Australia’s nature laws to provide proper protection for animals and nature when these laws are reformed.
We saw the first milestone achieved with the expansion of the ‘water trigger’ this month. This means proposed unconventional gas projects will be assessed for their impacts on critical water resources.
Image: Yann-HUBERT via Canva.com
Urging a global airline to stop supporting whaling
Almost 10,000 people have asked global airline ANA to drop whale meat. That’s a huge wave of potential consumers telling the airline they do not support whaling.
When we reach 10,000 signatures, we’ll be demanding that ANA demonstrates its commitment to biodiversity and drop whale meat from its website in our fight to end whale hunting.
Thank you for sharing in this good news for 2023.
2024 will be another year of protecting the incredible marine animals that share our planet.