The global trade in live cetaceans: Implications for conservation

Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy

Volumn 8, Issue 4, 2005, Pages 315-340

  Fisher, Sue J ^a   Reeves, Randall R ^b  

^a WHALE AND DOLPHIN CONSERVATION   (United Kingdom)

^b Okapi Wildlife Associates Canada   (Canada)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

CETACEAN; ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION; INTERNATIONAL TRADE; WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT;

CETACEA; DOLPHIN (CETACEAN); ODONTOCETI; PHOCOENIDAE;

EID: 30944467115     PISSN: 13880292     EISSN: 15481476     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/13880290500343624     Document Type: Article

References (61)

1. D.M. Lavigne, V.B. Scheffer, S.R. Kellert, The Evolution of North American Attitudes Toward Marine Mammals, in Conservation & Management of Marine Mammals 10-47 (J.R. Twiss, Jr. & R.R. Reeves eds., 1999);
2. R.R. Reeves & J.G. Mead, Marine Mammals in Captivity, id. at 412-436.
3. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, March 3, 1973, 27 U.S.T. 1087, T.I.A.S. No. 8249, 993 U.N.T.S. 243, ELR Stat. 40336.
4. See Randall Reeves et al., Dolphins, Whales & Porpoises: 2002-2010 Conservation Action Plan for the World's Cetaceans (2003).
5. The following small cetacean species are listed on CITES Appendix I: baiji (Lipotes vexillifer), Indus River dolphin (Platanista minor; now considered a subspecies P. gangetica minor), Ganges River dolphin (Platanista gangetica; now considered a subspecies P. g. gangetica), tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis), Indo-Pacific hump-backed dolphin (Sousa chinensis), Atlantic hump-backed dolphin (Sousa teuszii), finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) and Irrawaddy dolphin (Orcaella brevirostris).
6. W.W. Wijnstekers, The Evolution of CITES:2003 74 (2003).
7. The export permit stated 'education' and the import permit, 'zoological.' Meanwhile, the Singapore Management Authority claimed 'breeding purposes.'
8. Sentosa's pink dolphins pregnant - a first for Singapore, at (last visited on 8th September 2000).
9. See Underwater World's website at
10. CITES, supra note 4, at Article IV (2) a.
11. Id. at Article IV (2) b
12. Id. at Article IV (2) c.
13. International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, Dec. 2, 1946, 62 Stat., 1716, T.I.A.S. No. 1849 (entered into force Nov. 10, 1948).
14. See William C. Burns, The International Whaling Commission and the Regulation of the Consumptive and Non-Consumptive Uses of Small Cetaceans: The Critical Agenda for the 1990s, 13 Wis. Int'l L.J. 105-143 (1994).
15. Report of the Sub-committee on Small Cetaceans, 42 REP. Int'l Whaling Commission (1992), Annex G, 178-234
16. IWC, Report of the Sub-committee on Small Cetaceans, 34 REP. Int' Whaling Commission, Annex H, 144-160 (1984).
17. Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, Bonn, 23 June 1979, printed in 19 ILM (1980), 15. 31.
18. Id. at articles IV and V.
19. Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Contiguous Atlantic Area, Monaco, 24 November 1996, printed in 36 I.L.M. 777 (1997).
20. Id. at article II (1)
21. For example, New Zealand's Marine Mammals Protection Act of 1978 prohibits any killing, harming, injuring, or harassing of cetaceans, Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act of 1999 makes it an offence to recklessly kill, injure, or take a cetacean, and the USA's Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 prohibits harassment.
22. CITES, supra note 4, at. Article IV.2 (c) and Article III.2(c)
23. Id. at Article III.3 (b)
24. CITES Resolution 10.21 on the Transport of Live Animals provides that a shipment must meet the CITES Guidelines for Transport and Preparation for Shipment of Live Wild Animals and Plants. For air transport a shipment is deemed to comply if it meets the IATA Live Animal Regulations. CITES Res. Conf. 10.21 available at
25. CITES Decision 12.85 available at
26. E-mail from Michael Reshetnikov to Gabriela M. Bellazzi, 23 Feb. 2000.
27. For example, see T. Kasuya,, T. Tobayama, S. Matsui, Review of the live-capture of small cetaceans in Japan, 34 Rep. Int'l Whaling Commission 597-602 (1984).
28. S. Leatherwood, & R.R. Reeves, Bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus and other toothed cetaceans, in Wild Mammals of North America: Biology, Management & Economics 369-414 (J.A. Chapman and G.A. Feldhamer eds., 1982).
29. Kasuya et al., supra note 29, at 598.
30. P. Corkeron, Captivity, in Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals 192-97 (W.F. Perrin, B.Würsig and J.G.M. Thewissen eds, 2002).
31. Cuba has reported the export of 127 bottlenose dolphins while importing states have reported a total of 172 imports from Cuba. Eight more were exported in 2004.
32. G. Ross, et al., Live-capture and trade of bottlenose dolphins, Solomon Islands, 40 Species 4-5 (2003).
33. Press release, World Society for the Protection of Animals, 26 Oct. 2004.
34. A.A. Birkun, Jr., The current status of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Black Sea, Unpublished document submitted to IWC Scientific Committee, SC/55/For Information 16 (2003).
35. See IWC, Annex K. Report of the Sub-committee on Small Cetaceans, 5 J. Cetacean Res. & Mgmt. (Supp.) 362-381 (2003).
36. See IWC, Annex I. Report of the Sub-committee on Small Cetaceans, 2 J. Cetacean Res. & Mgmt. (Supp.) 235-263 (2000).
37. For example, the Review of Significant Trade, a programme of the Animals and Plants Committees
38. .
39. The reporting of 14 Parties (representing just over 10 percent of the total) was at least three years in arrears at the time of the 50th Standing Committee.
40. AVA admits 4 Underwater World dolphins are wild, Yvonne Cheong,CHANNEL NEWSASIA, 5 February 2004.
41. Statement of Ms. Lye Fong Keng, head of AVA's Wildlife Regulatory Branch reported in "Watchdog says four of six sea mammals not captive-born," Todayonline.com, 6 Feb. 2004 at .
42. Ross et al., Report of a Fact-finding Visit to the Solomon Islands, 9-12 September 2003. IUCN/SSC Cetacean and Veterinary Specialist Groups. Available at .
43. CITES Information Document 11.3, CITES Scientific Authorities Checklist to Assist in Making Non-Detriment Findings For Appendix II Exports, Doc Inf. 11. 3 available at
44. See W.F. Perrin et al., Report of the Second Workshop on the Biology and Conservation of Small Cetaceans and Dugongs of South-east Asia, Silliman University, Dumaguete, Philippines, 24-26 July 2002, Convention on Migratory Species Technical Series Publication 9 (2005).
45. I. Beasley, S. Chooruk, N. Piwpong, The status of the Irrawaddy dolphin, Orcaella brevirostris, in Songkhla Lake, southern Thailand, 10 Raffles Bull. Zoology, Supplement 75-83 (2002);
46. R.R. Reeves, Does the live-animal trade threaten cetacean populations in Southeast Asia?, 39 Species 4-5 (2003).
47. Birkun, supra note 36.
48. Sally Kestin, Captive marine animals can net big profits for exhibitors, Fla. Sun-Sentinel, May 18, 2004, U.S. investigates dolphin sales by Cuba, Miami Herald. Feb. 17, 2002.
49. Reeves, supra note 47.
50. For example see Tas'an & S. Leatherwood, Cetaceans live-captured for Jaya Ancol Oceanarium, Djakarta, 1974-1982, 34 Rep. Int'l Whaling Commission 485-89 (1984);
51. R. Reeves et al., Survivor-ship of odontocete cetaceans at Ocean Park, Hong Kong, 1974-1994, 11 Asian Marine Bio. 107-124 (1994).
52. B.D. Smith & T.A. Jefferson, Status and conservation of facultative freshwater cetaceans in Asia, 10 Raffles Bull. Zoology (Supp.) 173-87 (2002).
53. A.M. Smith, Prisoners in paradise, 6 Sonar 14-15 (1991).
54. Perrin et al., supra note 46 at 20.
55. Isabel Beasley, personal communication, 7 Feb. 2004.
56. T.A. Jefferson, Population biology of the Indo-Pacific hump-backed dolphin in Hong Kong waters, 64(4) Wildlife Mono. 1-65 (2000).
57. See IWC, Annex K. Report of the Sub-committee on Small Cetaceans, 5 J. Cetacean Res. & Mgmt. (Supp.) 367 (2003).
58. Reeves et al. supra note 5 at 17
59. CITES Resolution 8.13 (Rev) Use of coded-microchip implants for marking live animals in trade, CITES Res. Conf. 8.13 (rev) available at