Thriving whales help create a thriving ocean. As a sentinel species, whales provide early warning of existing or emerging problems in the ocean, such as climate change. They also play a vital role in the health of our ocean as ecosystems engineers.
Whales face growing threats as they travel the vast distances between breeding and foraging areas and their habitats become more disrupted. The threats they face include:
Ship strikes are one of the leading causes of human-induced mortality for several whale populations. Ship noise is a further threat since whales use sound to sense their environment.
Run-off from the land, the deliberate dumping of sewage, dredging, accidental oil spills, nets or discarded plastic – all are polluting our marine environments and impacting whales.
Despite their large size, bycatch from commercial fishing activities poses a threat to whales. Entanglement in crayfish pot lines is a particular hazard around New Zealand’s coast.
Advocating for more Marine Protected Areas both in New Zealand and the wider Pacific, including Blue Corridors (protected migration routes).
Working with government, to strengthen regulation to protect whales and other marine mammals and with industry to encourage them to follow best practice.