International Marine Mammal Protection Day or World Whale Day is celebrated in many countries on February 19th.
This ecological date is considered a day of protection not only for whales, but also for all marine mammals and various other living creatures living in the seas and oceans of our planet. This Day was established in 1986, when a moratorium on whaling introduced by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) came into force.
This moratorium continues to this day and means that whale hunting and the whale meat trade are prohibited throughout the world. Currently, whale fishing is permitted solely to meet the needs of the indigenous population (the so-called indigenous population) and the removal of whales for scientific purposes with special permits from IWC member governments.
First of all, Whale Day – is attracting the attention of the public, government officials and all humanity to the protection of this unique species of animals and, in general, all marine mammals, of which only 119 species have survived on Earth to date. The intensive and merciless extermination of marine mammals and, in particular, whales, which has been going on for more than 200 years, has a detrimental effect on their numbers – many representatives of this order are on the verge of extinction.
But they are the most sensitive indicators of the state of the planet’s marine systems and an important link in the power circuits of the World Ocean; they create stability in the biological cycle of substances in the ecological system. Therefore, the decline in the number of whales and other marine animals leads to disruption of the biological balance in marine ecosystems. After all, every disappeared species – is an irreparable loss – everything that disappears in the animal world, – disappears forever.
Despite the fact that the moratorium on whaling is still in effect today and whaling is prohibited by the laws of most countries, the destruction of these animals does not stop. In addition, a person, through his activities, unfortunately not always reasonable, has long had a negative impact on nature, changing it. For example, fishing gear causes heavy losses to marine mammals, as well as pollution of the oceans with petroleum products due to the expansion of the geography of oil production on the sea shelf.
This ecological date is considered a day of protection not only for whales, but also for all marine mammals and various other living creatures living in the seas and oceans of our planet (Photo: Joost van Uffelen, licensed from Shutterstock.com)
This state of affairs does not suit the defenders of marine mammals and all concerned people about the future of our planet. To preserve marine life, public attention is drawn to this problem. In many countries there are clubs and societies for lovers of these animals, marine reserves are being created where their lives are not in danger. And directly on this day, every year various environmental groups, environmental organizations and the public hold all kinds of actions in defense of whales and other marine mammals and various information events or devote this day to the protection of one unique species that is in mortal danger.
In Russia, Marine Mammal Protection Day has been celebrated since 2002 and is of particular importance, since several dozen species of whales, dolphins, fur seals and seals live in the Russian seas, many of which are endangered and listed in the Red Book of the Russian Federation and the International Union for Conservation nature.
For information
— The Earth's seas and oceans were explored by marine mammals long before the advent of humans. Finds by paleontologists confirm the existence of whales and seals 26 million years ago.
— Cetacea — is an order of aquatic mammals that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. Whales breathe air using their lungs, are warm-blooded, and feed their young with milk.
— Blue whale — is the largest creature on Earth, its weight sometimes reaches 200 tons, and its length — is 33 meters.
— Whales have given people a lot: whalebone and spermaceti, whale oil and bone meal. And recently, doctors have become seriously interested in studying whales.
— Whale — is a wonderful symbol of life at sea, large and powerful, but at the same time very defenseless. And it's important to remember this…
It should also be noted that there is another date for holding similar events – World Whale and Dolphin Day.