International Year of the Dolphins
The UN proclaimed the International Year of the Dolphins in 2007 after 15 countries signed the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) , also known as the Bonn Convention . The aim of the year of action is to make the goals of the UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory and Wildlife Species known to the public. The opening ceremony took place in Shimoni , Kenya . The main focus was on the regions around the Canary Islands, the Azores and the coast of West Africa. In the course of the year, meetings of politicians, scientists and publicity campaigns by NGOs took place.
The background is the endangerment of these marine mammals by humans. It is part of the UN Decade of Biodiversity from 2000 to 2010 of the United Nations. The patron was Prince Albert II of Monaco .