Ending Captivity

Ending Captivity Munchkin Project and Impact Report fromWhale and Dolphin Conservation 2016 Munchkin Report

Our VisionOur vision is a world where every whale and dolphin is safe and free. As a result of the amazing support from Munchkin we have been able to makesignificant strides forward in achieving our goal. Munchkin Report

#Orcas Live in OceansIn November 2015 WDC and Munchkincollaborated on their #OrcasLiveInOceanscampaign. As a result, Munchkin kindlypledged $25k to help WDC in its work toend the cruel practice of keeping whalesand dolphins in captivity.This report providesan update on ourprogress with someof our key prioritiesin the fight to endcaptivity, and ourareas of focus forthe future. MUNCHKIN ORCA LOGO copyright MUNCHKIN Munchkin Report

Ending CaptivityEducation- increasing awareness Reaching hundreds of thousands of children and adults through school and outreach events Munchkin Report

WDC Works to End Captivity Campaigns- taking actionCalling on Star Alliance Calling on British Calling on the public to develop a policy Airways to stop to pledge NEVER to selling trips toagainst the carriage of swim with captive wild-caught dolphins SeaWorld dolphins or whalesMunchkin Report

Ending CaptivityAdvocacy- advising governments • Co- petitioner leading to the successful Federal Designation of the Sakhalin Bay-Amur River Stock of Beluga Whales as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act • Called for stronger proposed regulations governing captive care and maintenance of marine mammals by the Animal Health and Plant Health Inspection Service • Supported bill HB288 bill to ban captivity in Washington State • Supported California legislation to outlaw captive orca breeding and theatrical shows • Called on the Japanese Embassies to condemn the Taiji Drive hunts Munchkin Report

Ending Captivity Sanctuaries- improving lives WDC (Whale and Dolphin Conservation), together with conservation partner Merlin Entertainments, are continuing efforts to establish a natural, sea sanctuary where they can live, and where they can also be assessed for possible return to the wild. • Identified potential locations in sub-Arctic waters for beluga sanctuary • Identified potential locations in the Mediterranean for dolphin sanctuary Munchkin Report

Ending Captivity Beluga Sanctuaries UpdateSite identified• Sea bed and sea condition, water quality, ambient noise, storm surge analysis underway• Legal and permit filings with host nations in development• Fundraising plan advancingDesired Timeline • Construction commences 2018 • Jun Jun, Little White and Little Grey moved to Sanctuary 2019 Munchkin Report

Ending Captivity Protecting those left behind CAPTIVITY AND THE SOUTHERN RESIDENTS - THOSE WHO REMAINAs featured in the Award winning documentary Blackfish, inAugust of 1970, 80 Southern Resident orcas were roundedup and trapped , including Tokitae (also known as Lolita, heldat the Miami Seaquarium), the only one who is still alive incaptivity.Approximately 40% of the Southern Resident population wassold to marine parks or died in the capture process in just adecade.From a pre-capture estimate of about 120 individuals, theSouthern Residents were reduced to 70 in the populationin the first official census, conducted by the Center forWhale Research in 1976. Some of the most famous captiveorcas of the era were Southern Residents, captured duringthese cruel and relentless pursuits.Only 80 individuals remain today……………….. Munchkin Report

Ending Captivity Protectingthose left behind Captivity put Southern Resident orcas on the Endangered Species List; new threats, including prey depletion, keeps them there. Munchkin Report

Ending Captivity Protectingthose left behind Don’t Let Orcas Be Dammed # MigrationNation• Worked toward the successful removal of the Klamath River dams, officially slated to be removed in 2020• Founding member of the Orca Salmon Alliance (OSA)• Requesting the expansion of federally designated critical habitat• Working for the removal of four Lower Snake River dams• Increased involvement in salmon and ecosystem restoration in the Pacific Northwest to support orca recovery Munchkin Report

Ending Captivity Protectingthose left behind Next Steps • Secure and expand the work of the Jessica Rekos Fellowship for Orca ConservationWDC’s Jessica Rekos Fellowship for Orca Conservation was created inhonor of Jessica Rekos who devoted her short time on this planet to“researching” whales and learning as much as she could about them. Orcaswere her favorite. Jessica was only six years old when her life was tragicallytaken during the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown,Connecticut on December 14, 2012. The Fellowship funded, in part, by thegenerosity of The Jessica Rekos Foundation in honor of Jessica. WDC ishonored to be entrusted with Jessica’s legacy ensuring that orcas areprotected for generations to come. Munchkin Report

Ending Captivity Protecting those left behindGoalTo end orca captivity and save wild orcas by bridging the current threat of orcacaptivity with the tragic long term impact this cruel practice continues to haveon the Southern Resident Orca Community.ObjectiveTo secure funding to expand the role of the Jessica Rekos Fellowship for OrcaConservationStrategiesCommunications: • Deliver public outreach on captivity and Southern Resident Orcas • Represent WDC at US workshops/seminars to provide a voice for both captive orcas and those left behind who remain impacted by previous capturesEducation: • Create a comprehensive web source for orca information • Develop orca education materials for schools and publicCampaign: • Work with partners to increase awareness, educate the public, and inspire action to end captivity and save the Southern Resident orcas • Respond to public notices on captivity and issues impacting orcas • Expand Federally Designated Critical Habitat for Southern Resident Orcas • Maintain the integrity of the US Marine Mammal Protection and Endangered Species Acts Munchkin Report

Ending Captivity Our sincerest gratitude to Munchkin for their generous support.The funds and support kindly provided by Munchkin,our conservation , corporate and foundation partners,as well as our donors, are the reason we can givewhales and dolphins a voice. We specifically wish torecognize the important partners without whom ourwork to end captivity and protect those that were leftbehind would not have been possible. Munchkin Report