This article highlights two critical issues facing marine mammals: the traditional dolphin hunts in the Solomon Islands driven by climate change and the legal battle to protect the endangered Rice's whale in the U.S. Gulf.
In the Solomon Islands, the residents of Fanalei Island depend on dolphin teeth for income to buy land on higher ground as their island shrinks due to rising sea levels. Despite concerns from conservationists, the villagers see the hunts as a necessity for their survival. Each tooth fetches about $0.36, and a single hunt can yield tens of thousands of dollars. Climate change has made farming impossible, and the island may be underwater by the end of the century.
Meanwhile, in the U.S. Gulf, environmental NGOs are suing the Trump administration over the rollback of protections for the Rice's whale, of which only about 50 remain. These whales are at risk of extinction due to human activities, including oil drilling. The lawsuit aims to reinstate guidance that includes speed limits and restrictions on nighttime vessel navigation in the whale's habitat.