More than 100,000 dolphins are killed every year Technical problems: electoral votes in El Salvador are being recounted

Animal rights activists estimate that more than 100,000 dolphins, porpoises and small whales are killed worldwide every year. Much higher numbers are expected, but the dimensions cannot be estimated precisely, says Sandra Altherr, biologist and scientific director at animal protection organization Pro Wildlife. “It’s a black box.” Pro Wildlife has collaborated with Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) to develop a new analysis of dolphin catches.

The report “Small Cetaceans – Even Bigger Problems” evaluates 250 studies and other sources. Accordingly, the situation for dolphins and small whales has become even worse in recent years. Hunting of the animals is pushing some populations to the brink of extinction, animal rights groups say. The exploitation of dolphins and small whales has continued to increase in recent years.

The report gives several reasons for this: On the one hand, dolphins replace the lack of fish as a meal in certain poorer regions. On the other hand, dolphins are increasingly used as fishing bait, especially in commercial fishing. The dismembered carcasses are said to attract sharks and catfish.

From bycatch to targeted hunting

In the past, dolphins were mainly used for this purpose, which were caught as by-catch in fishing nets. “But targeted hunting has increasingly evolved into this practice in recent years,” said WDC dolphin expert Nicola Hodgins. In some areas, the market value of dolphins as bait even exceeds their value as food. According to information, approximately 15,000 dolphins and small whales are killed annually in Peru, and almost 10,000 in Ghana.

Another reason for the increasing killing of dolphins is the overfishing of the world’s oceans: fishermen kill the animals to eliminate so-called ‘competitors’ for dwindling fish stocks. “Given the overfished state of the oceans, we fear that dolphin killings may even increase,” Altherr announced.

The situation of river dolphins is particularly serious

According to the report, the situation of river dolphins in the Amazon is particularly serious. “Every year, thousands of these endangered animals are slaughtered unnoticed to provide bait for pirate fishing.”said Altherr. In addition, the oil from the animals, also called botos, has recently been used to treat corona infections. “We run the risk of losing the Boto completely in the coming decades,” says Altherr.

In addition to Peru and Ghana, the list of countries where the most dolphins and small whales are killed includes Nigeria, Brazil, Venezuela, Greenland and Taiwan. it continued. In regions such as Indonesia, the Philippines and the Tristao Islands (Guinea), hunting and eating dolphins is a more recent practice.

Animal rights activists are urgently calling for global regulation of the hunting of dolphins and small whales. Coastal states are encouraged to strengthen and better enforce their national legislation. In addition, international agreements and programs must take urgent action to end illegal hunting and regulate permitted hunting. (saw/sda/dpa)