wdcs annual review 2009/2010 - Whale and Dolphin Conservation ...

WELCOMEWelcome to the 2009/2010 WDCSAnnual Review. As a patron of the charityI have been proud to find myself workingalongside such positive, active staff,supporters and volunteers, without whomnone of the last 12 months’ achievementswould have been possible.Perhaps like me you’ve taken part inan athletic pursuit to raise funds – I planto run the 2011 London Marathon forWDCS, my second venture of this ilk –but whatever you’ve done to support theorganisation, I thank you.I had the pleasure of working withWDCS recently on Monty Halls’ GreatHebridean Escape. In my quest to becomea wildlife ranger on some remote Scottishislands I got the support of the WDCShead of Scottish policy, Sarah Dolman, andinternational projects coordinator, NicolaHodgins, who braved the elements with me.We were able to highlight the exciting, newWDCS Shorewatch initiative during theshow; let’s hope that this leads to furtherrecognition of the organisation’s work,allowing us to engage with new supportersand volunteers, in turn helping to save andprotect these beautiful creatures.Monty Halls,WDCS patron, marine biologistand TV presenter

InsideyourreviewCOVER: douglas j hoffman4The year in review by WDCSchief executive, Chris Butler-StroudWhat’s so special about whales6 and dolphins?How WDCS fights the fight8 against whalingProtection of the UK’s dolphins is10 of paramount importanceThe battle against the injustices12 of captivity continuesWDCS’s protection programmes14 for river dolphinsCreating homes for whales and16 dolphins around the worldSetting responsible standards for17 whale and dolphin watching18Thank you to all our loyalsupporters for your helpthroughout the yearAn overview of the results of the19 last financial yearContact details, and a list of key20 supportersWDCS 3

Tough TimesAheadAs the global voice for whales anddolphins, during 2009 and the startof 2010, WDCS has achieved somegreat things. However, we could nothave done any of it without yoursupport. There are many challengesahead of us, and the successes youwill read about in this Review giveus hope for the future. But in hardeconomic times, we need yoursupport more than ever.The WDCS Protect Our Dolphinscampaign in Scotland has achievedsome notable successes: keepingNATO military exercises out ofthe Moray Firth; limiting marinadevelopments and preventingthe exploration for oil and gas inwhat is a European Protected Areadesignated specifically to protectthe charismatic but vulnerabledolphins of the Moray Firth. Wecontinue to fight on all these frontsas the battle to gain real and lastingChris Butler-StroudWDCS chief executiveprotection for these amazing animalsis an ongoing one.WDCS is also continuing to developimportant education and conservationprojects around the world, includingreaching even more children throughour education work in Scotland,expanding our Pier2Pier and DolphinDiploma initiatives to areas such asHaiti, educating the public about drivehunts in the US, and developing aJapanese website for children.I’m proud to say that with yoursupport we have campaignedsuccessfully to keep the currentcommercial whaling ban in place.However, some nations continueto kill whales and the frighteningprospect of the ban being liftedremains a very real one.There are tough times ahead buttogether we can make the world’soceans and rivers a safer place forthese remarkable animals.Clockwise from top, shutterstock, james cockayne, charlie phillips, wdcs/alice pope, gill braulikWDCS continues to fight for realand lasting protection for theseamazing animals4 WDCS

James Cockayne ran the Readinghalf-marathon to raise funds forWDCSBottlenose dolphin in ScotlandLooking out for dolphins atWDCS’s Wildlife CentreRiverdolphinrescue

WDCS is dedicated toprotecting whales anddolphins in the placesthey call ‘home’Clockwise from top:sperm whale, beluga whale,humpback whale6 WDCS

Why Whales andDolphins?WDCS is well known in many parts of the world for its strong stance on conservation issues andfor its dedication to protecting whale and dolphin species in the places that they call ‘home’. Butwhy do we protect these fascinating animals? What is it that inspires awe, appreciation and adesire to help them?cherylle millard-dawe, miguel iniguez, shutterstock, mark votierPart of our work is focused on exploring theethical, conservation and welfare argumentsfor protecting whales and dolphins. There isso much more to be discovered about theirsecret social lives, but we already know thatcertain dolphins play specific roles withintheir own communities; that informationcan be passed between individuals of thesame species and sometimes betweengenerations, a process that many scientistsnow recognise as ‘non-human culture’. Wealso know that some species possess specialbrain cells normally associated with empathyand emotional intelligence. These cells werepreviously thought only to be found in thebrains of humans and other primates. Wealso know that some dolphins use tools toforage for food.These discoveries bring the continuingslaughter and exploitation of whales anddolphins into even sharper focus, and make ourrole as guardians of the interests of these uniquebeings even more important. After 60 yearsof research, there remains no humane way tokill a whale or dolphin at sea, no effective wayof guaranteeing whaling nations’ compliancewith regulations, and no scientific certaintythat whale populations can withstand huntingin the face of growing environmental threats.With your help, WDCS will continue tofund research that enables us to discovermore about whale and dolphin culture andintelligence, and we will use this learning toensure that these intelligent creatures, withwhom we share our planet, are given theprotection that they deserve.The continuing slaughter of whales and dolphins makes our role as guardians of these unique beings even more importantDid you know...whales and dolphinsreally are amazingn The sperm whale is the deepest diver.n The Indo-Pacific humpback dolphinhas the best hearing.n Bowhead whales live the longest –possibly reaching the age of 200.n The heart of a blue whale weighs up to1,000 pounds, and its aorta, the majorblood vessel for the heart, is big enoughfor a small-sized human to crawl through.The heart is about the size of a VW Beetle.n Learn more about whales and dolphinsby visiting our online Species Guidewww.wdcs.org/speciesWDCS 7

Aximi, ommoluptatibusdaevoluptat lautut dolupturmodisquamusam ipsam, sequomodita quatusOur aim is to act againstcommercial whaling inall its guises8 WDCS

Stop WhalingDespite a ban, Norway and Iceland kill over 2,000 whales each year between them and areexpanding their international trade in whale products. Our aim is to exert political and publicpressure to bring an end to all commercial whaling for good.ikan, WDCSSuccessesn WDCS helped maintain the ban oninternational commercial whaling andtrade in whale products, persuadinggovernments and influential organisationsthat this important ban should remainin place. Working with independenteconomists, WDCS produced the first evercomprehensive analysis of the economicsof whaling in Japan and Norway, revealingthat vast public subsidies are underwritinga financially unsustainable industry in bothcountries.n Climate change is one of the biggestthreats facing whales and dolphins today,with changes in sea temperature, fresheningof seawater, rising sea levels, loss of icy polarhabitats and the decline of food sourcestaking place so rapidly that some whale anddolphin populations may be unable to adapt.WDCS was instrumental in securing aresolution at the 2009 annual meeting of theInternational Whaling Commission (IWC),making the IWC’s work on the effects ofclimate change on whales and dolphins apriority.n WDCS joined forces with Sea Life inearly 2009 to oppose moves for a return oflegalised commercial whaling. Visitors toSea Life’s 31 centres around the worldsigned more than 100,000 Stop Whalingpostcards for delivery to the EU calling onMember States to stop whaling. In November2009, together with SEA LIFE we launched aunique event: the Junior Whale Conference.The two-day event, held at the Alton TowersResort, saw delegates from nine schoolsacross the UK debate the controversialwhaling issue. Our very enthusiastic youngconservationists were given the chance tofind out more about the history of whalingand the politics and ethics behind the currentwhaling debate. WDCS is represented at theIWC each year, and some of the argumentsand views expressed by these youngstershelped us to develop our own arguments andlend extra weight to them.HOW YOU HELPEDn Your support for our first Walk for Whalesin July 2009 raised vital funds for our StopWhaling campaign. In partnership withSea Life we held 11 walks around the UK,and you turned out in your hundreds. SomeSupporters ‘walking for whales’; Miranda Krestovnikoff prepares toabseil; young people in debate at the Junior Whaling Conferencewalkers were as young as four and manytravelled hundreds of miles to take part.The money raised helped ensure that ourexperts were at the International WhalingCommission intercessional meetings to fightproposed plans to allow Greenland to furtherincrease the number of humpback whales ithunts and kills each year.n Another great success was our Abseil forthe Whale that saw supporters abseil 100feet down Bristol’s Avon Gorge as part of ourcampaign to bring an end to commercialwhaling. WDCS patron and TV presenter,Miranda Krestovnikoff, together with someof our amazing supporters and representativesfrom local business, went ‘over the edge’to raise funds. This money will enable thecontinuation of vital research into how thewhaling nations are using the oil and meatfrom the whales they kill as well as more directaction against commercial whaling.WDCS 9

Dolphins are a muchlovedpart of Scotland’snatural heritageWe are hopefulthat the newMarine Act forScotland willoffer additionalprotection tobottlenosedolphins – andall whalesand dolphins– throughoutScotland10 WDCS

Protect Our DolphinsThe dolphins of the Moray Firth are an amazing group of animals and a much loved part of Scotland’snatural heritage. But they are also vulnerable. Our Protect Our Dolphins campaign aims to ensure thatthese animals have a future by helping to strengthen their legal protection, by seeking to regulateindustries that threaten their environment and by changing the way we behave around them.Successesn We were successful in stopping seismicsurveys for oil and gas in the Moray Firth,while more research is being undertaken toassess the risks of this.n We made the Ministry of Defence awareof the level of protection of the bottlenosedolphins, and as a result they reconsideredconducting part of the military exercise JointWarrior in the Moray Firth.n We provided important expertise to astudy into the economics of the Moray Firthdolphins. Demonstrating how much thesespecial animals bring to Scotland’s economywill help us gain support for protecting them.n We continued our support of a responsibledolphin watching industry through theDolphin Space Programme.n We were successful in achieving a newMarine Act for Scotland – which we areworking hard to ensure will offer additionalprotection to the bottlenose dolphins and allwhales and dolphins throughout Scotland.HOW YOU HELPEDn Many of you have been getting out to theScottish coastline to look out for whales anddolphins through the WDCS Shorewatchinitiative. You have collected importantdata which helps us to understand moreabout where these animals are. The morewe understand, the better protection we canprovide, and we hope that Shorewatch will gofrom strength to strength in the coming years.n During the year 60,000 visitors passedthrough the doors of the WDCS WildlifeCentre at Spey Bay and a further 20,000 cameto the WDCS Dolphin and Seal Centre atNorth Kessock. In addition, we welcomed alarge number of school and university visitsto our new education room at the WDCSWildlife Centre where we were able to engage1,490 conservationists of the future with theissues facing their local dolphins. This greatspace was kindly funded by Scottish NationalHeritage, The Baxters Foundation andMoray Leader. And your generosity generatedaround £90,000 in revenue from the shopsat both Centres and also through your kinddonations. Thank you.n Meanwhile, WDCS patron and TVpresenter Monty Halls bravely took on thegruelling London Marathon and with thehelp of WDCS supporters he raised £9,500for the campaign.WDCS/charlie phillipsVisitors at the WDCS Dolphin and Seal Centre at North Kessock; WDCS continues the fight against oil and gas surveys in potentially sensitive areas;Monty Halls (in dolphin suit) runs the London Marathon for WDCSWDCS 11

12 WDCSOur supporters have beenhighly vocal in speakingout against captivity

Anti CaptivityWDCS understands why people love whales and dolphins and their desire to see them up-close, butkeeping them in captivity inflicts cruelty and suffering. These wide-ranging, social animals are forcedto live in confined spaces and suffer lower life expectancy and higher infant mortality than in the wild.WDCS is working for a world where whales and dolphins are no longer subjected to this cruelty.Successesn Germany After the devastatingnews of six bottlenose dolphins dying inone year at Nuremburg Zoo, WDCS wonan important legal battle against the Cityof Nuremburg to grant us full access toinformation relating to the conditions of thedolphins kept at the zoo. The informationobtained will enable us to conduct anindependent review of dolphin deaths there.We hope this will stop similar tragedies inother facilities in Europe.n Austria Following reports that a newdolphinarium was being proposed in Austria,we conducted a nationwide media campaignto expose the cruelty of live captures, tradeand confinement. As a result, the responsibleAustrian Ministry publicly stated that thedolphinarium project will not go ahead.n Croatia In response to the guidanceand information provided by WDCS relatingto whales and dolphins in captivity, Croatiahas now made it illegal to keep dolphins incaptivity for commercial exploitation.n USA We have made strongrecommendations to the US Governmentregarding the public display of whales anddolphins to strengthen the regulations formarine parks and aquaria under the US MarineMammal Protection Act.n plus We supported and helped promotethe international release of The Cove, adocumentary detailing the inhumane drivehunts in Japan, which won the Oscar forBest Documentary in March, 2010. We alsoparticipated in the Dominican Republic FilmFestival as a panel expert.HOW YOU HELPEDn We’re proud to see a number of youngersupporters coming on board to help ourcampaigns, leaving us feeling positive thattoday’s children are becoming more aware ofconservation and wildlife issues.n Talented students at the Leesburg HighSchool in Florida, USA wrote and performeda powerful rap, which can be seen on YouTube.The students are now working with WDCSto arrange a trip to OrcaLab, the home ofWDCS’s adoption orcas in British Columbia.n In Geneva, Switzerland, 11-year-oldstudent, Jack Davis wrote a report andproduced a sculpture to demonstrate hisfeelings about orcas in captivity. For his lastfew birthdays he has asked for donations toWDCS instead of presents!shutterstock, jamie aquinoFace to face with a captive orca; Florida rappers bring the message home; The Cove, an Oscar-winning documentary on drive huntsWDCS 13

Workingalongside localcommunitieswe haveimplementedprotectionmeasures for riverdolphinsWDCS is championing aglobal campaign to save thesurviving river dolphins14 WDCS

River dolphinsThe river dolphins found in South America and Asia are among the most endangered mammals inthe world. We have recently lost one species forever (the baiji) and the few surviving species, like theAmazon river dolphin, are under threat. WDCS works to support conservation projects and researchto help the animals and their habitats, and also the local communities who live alongside them.Successesn In partnership with a local conservationfoundation, Natütama, WDCS has developeda successful model for working with Amazonindigenous communties in Colombia, toprotect river dolphins and local wildlife.Central to this work is the interpretationcentre in Puerto Nariño, which providesjobs and an important focal point for visitorsand local communities, and which has seenthousands of visitors walk through its doors inthe past year. We aim to roll out this type ofproject to other Amazon countries.n WDCS continues to help work with localchildren through a dedicated, year-roundeducation programme in schools (and anecology club at weekends), to communicateand promote key conservation messages andto ensure local knowledge about wildlifeconservation is not lost.n WDCS continued its efforts to helpcommunities set up alternative livelihoodsthat don’t impact on the dolphinpopulations. This includes helping agroup of Ticuna women in a new ventureto recover the value of fish caught byfishermen, but damaged by predators suchas dolphins. The cooperative processes themeat to make fish burgers. The fishermenget better value for the fish and indigenousfamily incomes are enhanced.HOW YOU HELPEDn Thanks to your support, WDCS is alsoable to fund a conservation programme inPuerto Nariño to protect river dolphins andtheir habitats. Local wildlife guardians carryout regular surveys in the area and reportany problems so that they can be dealt withby the team. Working alongside the localTicuna community, we have implementedprotection measures for river dolphins andassociated endangered species.Fernando Trujillo, Sarita Kendall/WDCSThe Natütama centre protects river dolphins; education of the young is so important; children can demonstrate their knowledge with a diplomaWDCS 15

Creating homesfor whales12 by 12WDCS’s goal isto help designand create 12safe havens forwhales anddolphins by2012Around the world, there aremany key marine areas that arecritical as homes for whalesand dolphins, and others thatare key migratory routes.Successesn WDCS is committed to protecting theplaces where whales and dolphins live toensure their future. WDCS’s goal is to helpdesign and create 12 large ‘safe havens’ orMarine Protected Areas (MPAs) for whalesand dolphins by 2012.n In particular WDCS has been working aspart of the Save Our Marine Life coalitiontowards a network of Marine ProtectedAreas in the west of Australia that will be asafe haven for whales and dolphins.douglas j hoffman16 WDCS

Responsible whale& dolphin watchingWDCS does not want to denypeople the great pleasure ofwatching whales and dolphinsat sea, but is committed toensuring that this increasinglypopular pastime is managedwith minimal disturbance tothe animals themselvesSuccessesn WDCS has developed Whale SENSE,a responsible whale watching programmeto protect whales and increase outreach topassengers.n This year has also seen the expansionof our Dolphin SMART programme tothe western coastline of Florida, withparticipating vessel operators now inAlabama, Florida and, in the near future,Hawaii.n We have expanded our youth whale anddolphin awareness programme, Pier2Pier,and Dolphin Diploma programmes to Haitithrough our continuing development of aneducation, research and ecotourism projectin the country, promoting marine mammalprotection and sustainable tourism.WDCS iscommittedto ensuringthat whalewatchingdoes notdisturb thewhalesWDCS 17

A SPECIAL THANK YOUWe are extremely grateful to you, oursupporters, adopters and members. Yourpassion and commitment will help us tofight the continuing threats to whales anddolphins around the world to ensure not onlytheir survival, but also that they thrive inoceans and rivers for many years to come.We thank you all.Clockwise from top left; WDCS’s first gala dinner raised an astonishing £20,000 for whales and dolphins, Walking for Whales, over the edge in Bristol,Whacky Whale Race fundraising event, London walkers, beach clean up.18 WDCS

Review ofFinancial ResultsTo deliver charitable objectives ofcampaigning, conservation and education,WDCS made charitable expenditure of over£2.9 million to the end of 2009.Although WDCS felt the effects of therecession, close financial managementmeant that the organisation was able tomatch spending to income levels andgenerate a consolidated net income of£116k for the year, which we hope will helpthe charity weather the current economicdifficulties.The information in the chart oppositehas been extracted from the audited,consolidated accounts for the charityfor the year ended 30 September 2009.A copy of the full consolidated accounts– audited by Chantrey Vellacott – theirreport and the report of the Trustees canbe obtained from:How each £ was spent in 2008–09Conservation and campaigns 59.0%Governance 0.3%Donations 2.0%Trading, management and administration 3.4%Information and education 4.8%Membership and adoption programmes 9.8%Fundraising 20.7%Company Secretary,WDCS,Brookfield House,38 St Paul Street,Chippenham,WiltshireSN15 1LJscott portelliWDCS 19

Get in touchTo find out more about WDCS, and how to support us,please contact info@wdcs.org or 01249 449 500, or visit www.wdcs.orglucy mollesonWDCS would like to thankthe following corporateorganisations:EndsleighSea LifeProfile Technology Services LtdBenromachKonfidenceTarget DryHunter Hall International LtdAnd the following Trustsand Foundations:The Simon Gibson Charitable TrustBBC Wildlife FundThe Stella Symons Charitable TrustThe Joyce Carter Charitable TrustScottish Natural HeritageThe Michael Harry Sacher Charitable TrustThe Jeremy & John Sacher Charitable TrustThe Moray Firth PartnershipThe Panton TrustThe Kilverstone Wildlife Charitable TrustThe Maud Beattie Murchie Charitable FundThe Anne Brown Charities SettlementSusan H Guy Charitable TrustProject AWARE FoundationThe TowerBrook FoundationGlobal OceanHDH WillsKnowledge Transfer PartnershipWhitely Fund for NatureGala dinner thanks:La Prairie Advanced Marine Biology skincareFujiFilm UKLeon Norell LtdAlgaranDouglas Hoffman Underwater PhotographySea SirenThe SanctuaryWildlife WorldwideIgloo FlowersDave KingSouthern Right WinesGala Dinner Event CommitteeCherylle Millard-DaweCarina CoenCharlie DuffAngela RaperRon Watsonn We would also like to say an extra special thankyou to those individuals and families that havechosen to support WDCS’s work through legacydonations or in memory of their loved ones.