Society for the Rescue of the Dolphins
| Society for the rescue of the dolphins V. (GRD) |
|
|---|---|
| legal form | registered association |
| founding | 1991 |
| Seat |
Munich , Germany
|
| purpose | Dolphin protection, marine protection |
| Chair | Sigmar Solbach (1st chairman) |
| Website | delphinschutz.org |
The Society for the Rescue of the Dolphins e. V. (short: GRD) is a German nature conservation organization that focuses on the protection of wild dolphins and their habitats. The non-governmental organization was founded in 1991 by Rollo Gebhard . Occasion were his observations and experiences on his third circumnavigation with drift nets , which at that time as a common fishing method in the tuna were caught and used where dolphins, whales , sea turtles , seals , non-target fish species and seabirds hundreds of thousands died.
On the third circumnavigation, which he undertook together with his future wife Angelika Zilcher from 1983 to 1991, Rollo Gebhard also noticed that his boat was accompanied by dolphins much less often than on his previous circumnavigations (1967–1970 and 1975–1979) . Particularly shocked, he reported on his film screenings about the so-called ghost nets, drift nets that have been lost or abandoned by fishing and continue to fish without a master on the world's oceans .
In addition to the initially rather narrowly formulated goal of saving the dolphins by banning driftnet fishing , the association has for several years made it its general task to take action against the ecological destruction of the world's oceans and to use it to protect wild dolphin populations. The focus is on the fight against industrial fishing and killing methods on the one hand and supporting dolphin protection projects around the world on the other. Since 2005, the association has also been running a project on the Caribbean island of Dominica to protect the resident sperm whale families living in the island's waters .
Programs and projects
SAFE - international control program for dolphin-safe tuna
In Germany, the GRD implements the international control program SAFE for dolphin-safe canned tuna products of the Earth Island Institute (EII), which defines criteria for tuna caught in a dolphin-safe manner and awards the SAFE eco-label if the criteria are complied with . For this purpose, the GRD controls importers and traders and publishes the consumer checklist. This tuna is "dolphin-safe" . The importers and traders affiliated with SAFE undertake to only offer tuna that has not been caught with drift nets or by setting nets around dolphin schools. According to EII and GRD, SAFE controls around 90 percent of global trade in Europe , Canada , Australia and the USA .
The SAFE logo is protected by the EII and is only awarded to companies that are involved in the control program for "dolphin-safe" tuna.
Rescue of the last Adriatic dolphins
The project was founded in 1999 with veterinarians from the University of Zagreb's veterinary faculty under the direction of Hrvoje Gomercic († August 1, 2010 at the age of 70). The main objective of the project is to prevent the extinction of a small population of around 220 bottlenose dolphins that live permanently in Croatia's coastal waters . Other goals include rescue operations for injured and stranded dolphins, recording and researching the population of the Adriatic dolphins, establishing protected areas , setting up a dolphin sanctuary in Croatia and awareness- raising projects for fishermen , the population and tourists.
The project is under the patronage of the Croatian Ministry of the Environment and is based on the requirements of the Protection Agreement for Cetaceans in the Black Sea and Mediterranean ACCOBAMS .
On July 4, 2013 , a dolphin protection center of the project was opened on Molat Island , Northern Dalmatia . It enables field and public relations work to be combined with one another, more regular inspection and research trips and better immediate measures for stranded or injured dolphins and whales .
To collect data on the occurrence and migratory behavior of marine mammals, the project works u. a. with an online viewing program that allows sailors , motorboat drivers or shore vacationers to report sightings of dolphins. In addition, sighting data from other dolphin species that sporadically appear in the Adriatic , such as round-headed dolphins , fin whales , sperm whales and sea turtles, are recorded. The data flow into surveys and analyzes that are prepared by the member countries for the International Whaling Commission (IWC). They are part of the assessment basis for measures to protect endangered dolphin populations and to preserve their habitats.
The project will u. a. supported by the German Foundation for Marine Protection.
Paracas Peninsula, Peru
On the Paracas Peninsula in Peru , the association has been supporting the Peruvian marine protection organization ACOREMA since 1999. With various project modules, ACOREMA works against the hunt for dolphins, the sale of dolphin meat, dynamite fishing and marine pollution and carries out educational and awareness-raising work with local schools and the national park administration of the Paracas National Reserve as well as intensive public relations work. A marine protection center that was destroyed in a severe earthquake in 2007 in the city of Pisco is to be rebuilt.
South and north of the Paracas Peninsula, the population dynamics of two groups of bottlenose dolphins are continuously observed:
- The isolated Supay group in the south of the peninsula, which lives in the Paracas National Reserve, has no exchange with other groups of dolphins and comprises only 22 animals.
- The Paracas group in the north of the peninsula, which includes 123 animals (since 2014). In Paracas Bay, the dolphins are confronted with severe marine pollution from chemicals , sewage or plastic waste .
Dolphins in the Red Sea near Hurghada
Since 2013 the association has been supporting the “Dolphin Watch Alliance” (DWA) from Switzerland in a project in the Red Sea ( Egypt ). The aims of the project include a. the recording and research of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) living off Hurghada and the establishment of guidelines for dolphin watching tourism that is compatible with animals in order to prevent long-term negative consequences for the animals and their habitat.
In 2013 the reefs Shaab el Erg and Shaab Fanous were declared a temporary protected area from May 15 to June 15. The project works closely with the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA).
Sperm whales off Dominica
In 2005 , the association began a project on the Caribbean island of Dominica to protect the resident sperm whale families living in the island's waters . The aims of the project include a .:
- Establishment of marine protected areas
- Further training and awareness-raising projects for the local population on marine and marine mammal protection with a focus on children and school classes
- Conducting free whale watch excursions and special training courses on marine and marine mammal protection for local school classes
- Training and education of tourists (including guests of cruise ships )
- Research, observation and inventory of the sperm whale population, development of a flukes database , data and information exchange with research institutes
Other Projects
The association also supports dolphin and marine conservation projects on the Canary Island of La Gomera and at Ponta do Ouro in the south of Mozambique .
Prizes and awards
- In 2002, Rollo Gebhard received the highest award from the Association of German Sports Divers (VDST), the VDST plaque of honor, for his work in animal and nature conservation .
- 2010 was the sperm whale conservation project on Dominica from the German Travel Association for international environmental award EcoTrophea nominated.
- In 2012 Andrea Steffen, who co-founded the association's sperm whale protection project in Dominica, was awarded the women's environmental prize Trophée de femmes by the Yves Rocher environmental foundation .
- In 2014, the GRD biologist Denise Wenger was honored by the Yves Rocher environmental foundation with the women's environmental prize Trophée de femmes for her project on the occurrence and protection of harbor porpoises in the Elbe , Weser and on the North Sea coast and her special merits in nature and environmental protection .
collaboration
The GRD works with various project partners, including the Dolphin Watch Alliance . There are also numerous alliances and collaborations, including a. with the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition and the Species Survival Network .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Foundation of the GRD 1991. Society for the rescue of the Delphine e. V., accessed on June 26, 2017 .
- ↑ Conversation with Rollo Gebhard | 1989
- ↑ Rollo Gebhard - The Lord of the Seven Seas - founder of the GRD. Society for the rescue of the dolphins V., accessed on June 26, 2017 .
- ↑ Who we are and what we do. Society for the rescue of the dolphins V., accessed on June 26, 2017 .
- ↑ Sperm whale eV Sperm whale e. V., accessed on June 26, 2017 .
- ↑ Articles of Association. (PDF; 67 kB) Society for the rescue of the dolphins e. V., December 3, 2010, accessed on September 11, 2012 .
- ↑ SAFE - International Control Program for Dolphin-Safe Tuna. Society for the rescue of the dolphins V., accessed on June 26, 2017 .
- ↑ Fish and fish products. Ed .: aid infodienst, consumer protection, nutrition, agriculture e. V. with funding from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
- ↑ International “Dolphin Safe” standards for tuna. (No longer available online.) International Marine Mammal Project / EII, archived from the original on March 7, 2015 ; accessed on December 15, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Which marine mammals are there in the Adriatic? Society for the rescue of the dolphins V., accessed on June 26, 2017 .
- ^ Rescue of the last Adriatic dolphins (Croatia). Society for the rescue of the dolphins V., accessed on June 26, 2017 .
- ↑ Dolphin Conservation Center on Molat Island. Society for the rescue of the dolphins V., accessed on June 26, 2017 .
- ↑ Help us with the surveys on the distribution of the Adriatic dolphins! Society for the rescue of the dolphins V., accessed on June 26, 2017 .
- ^ Project to save the last Adriatic dolphins (Croatia). German Marine Protection Foundation, accessed on January 13, 2016 .
- ↑ ACOREMA. Accessed December 30, 2018 .
- ↑ Dolphin and marine protection project Paracas Peninsula in Peru. Society for the rescue of the dolphins V., accessed on June 26, 2017 .
- ↑ Natural disaster in Peru: earthquake devastates the port city of Pisco. Spiegel online, accessed December 17, 2014 .
- ↑ Campaign against plastic waste in Paracas. Society for the rescue of the dolphins V., accessed on June 26, 2017 .
- ↑ Thank you very much for your support! (No longer available online.) Dolphin Watch Alliance, archived from the original on December 22, 2014 ; accessed on December 22, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Unscrupulous dolphin tourism in Egypt endangers dolphins. Society for the rescue of the dolphins V., accessed on June 26, 2017 .
- ↑ Dolphins could disappear. SilentWorld, accessed December 22, 2014 .
- ^ Red Sea Governor Closes Shabb el Erg and Shabb Fanus. HEPCA, accessed December 22, 2014 .
- ↑ A life for the giants of the seas “The whales are our children”. rp-online, accessed December 21, 2014 .
- ^ Sperm whale protection in Dominica. Society for the rescue of the dolphins V., accessed on June 26, 2017 .
- ↑ Whale watching for children. Society for the rescue of the dolphins V., accessed December 22, 2014 .
- ↑ Our worldwide dolphin and marine conservation projects. Society for the rescue of the dolphins V., accessed on June 26, 2017 .
- ↑ Rollo Gebhard - The Lord of the Seven Seas - founder of the GRD. Society for the rescue of the dolphins V., accessed on June 26, 2017 .
- ↑ Five environmental protection projects nominated. German Association Forum, accessed on December 22, 2014 .
- ↑ Andrea Steffen, 2nd Prize Germany 2012. (No longer available online.) Yves Rocher Fondation, archived from the original on December 17, 2014 ; Retrieved December 17, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Andrea Steffen receives the “Trophée de femmes” environmental award. Society for the rescue of the dolphins V., accessed on June 26, 2017 .
- ↑ Denise WENGER, 3rd Prize Germany 2014. (No longer available online.) Yves Rocher Fondation, archived from the original on December 16, 2014 ; Retrieved December 17, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Porpoise protectionist receives Yves Rocher environmental award for women. Society for the rescue of the dolphins V., accessed on June 26, 2017 .
- ↑ Supporters - Partners - Dolphin Ambassadors - Cooperations . GRD website, accessed June 26, 2017.
