International holidays - World Whale and Dolphin Day

Every year on July 23, environmentalists and human rights activists draw the world's attention to the important issue of extinction of ocean and marine mammals through World Whale and Dolphin Day The date coincides with the events of 1982, when the International Whaling Commission introduced a ban on industrial production, officially in force since the 1985-1986 season Starting in the 30s, special control was introduced and even a commission was formed in 1946, but this did not help save some species from extinction Initially, it was planned to limit commercial production for 10 years, but further developments showed that such measures cannot help: the ban is still indefinite The only exception is made for some indigenous peoples inhabiting the coastal regions of Russia, Canada, and Oceania, where this type of meat is the main diet, formed over centuries, and there are no plans to increase catching more than historically As it turned out, a person does not have to eat whales in order to exterminate them: the natural habitat has changed greatly with the development of shipping and tourism It is not only poachers, as was thought back in the 50s, who destroy populations Climate change and the negative impact of oil production, which has been actively progressing in recent decades, pose a serious threat And although the first whalers appeared before our era, mass extermination took on commercial proportions by the beginning of the 18th century: for the sake of many exclusive things (whalebone, blubber) But whales began to be viewed as a giant source of food by the 20th century The rapid development of shipbuilding, the improvement of tools for capture and killing, in contrast to the harpoons and boats of ancient whalers, gave its sad result Due to such a huge number of problems, humanity almost lost gray whales, namely the Okhotsk-Korean population In 1974, their extinction was even announced, but a few years later it was established that all was not lost Some herds, and whales live in large families, arrive on the shores of Sakhalin in the summer Russia contributes to the conservation of species by passing laws, monitoring, and financing projects, because the count is in the tens of heads, and just a couple of hundred years ago the number was tens of thousands But Japan took a different, almost poaching path Under the pretext of scientific research, this country set a catching quota for itself, but left control over execution in its own hands Japanese actions cause certain controversy and indignation Whale meat is considered a delicacy, with independent international inspections often finding it in high-end restaurants rather than research centers There is the only huge floating whaling base in the world, which, according to human rights activists, disguises its production under the auspices of scientific research There are versions that Japan is not limited to the seasonal official quota, for example, 300 animals, catching much more Even the UN international courts are unable to influence the problem The cruel hunt does not stop at whales - driven hunts for dolphins are carried out every year, killing hundreds of them And of course, justification by long-standing ancient Japanese traditions is unacceptable in the face of such brutal destruction, which, by the way, was documented Scientists and environmental specialists consider it their duty on July 23 to gather as many as possible (which is about 88 countries of the world) and discuss a general strategy, focusing on species close to total destruction World Day does not limit the protection of only the largest mammals on the planet: cetaceans include dolphins and some other species Activists of the environmental movement try to involve the maximum number of people on a special date, holding various events You can not just love animals, but through your social behavior you can support the ideas of full protection and the most natural habitat possible For example, the problem of dolphins is raised annually through all kinds of demonstrations and flash mobs Such targeted actions work quite effectively: in recent years, more than 60 dolphinariums have been closed In Russia, activists hold no less impressive thematic presentations dedicated to rescuing smart animals from a chlorinated prison, because the life expectancy in freedom is 25-40 years, and in the terrible conditions of dolphinariums and swimming pools - only 6 This is how to ruin the lives of dolphins, depriving them of freedom and sea space , for the sake of entertaining people for money, is simply inhumane Dolphins are very affectionate, they are able to get to know a person in natural conditions The inability to watch it live is fully compensated, according to human rights activists, by good documentaries They are offered for viewing on a special day by local libraries and public foundations The future of the planet will not be decided in the best way if you take a passive position: on July 23 there is a good reason to make life better