Action for Dolphins

Since 2001, 15,228 animals have been caught in Queensland’s lethal shark control program.

These innocent animals, including dolphins, turtles, and whales were left struggling for hours – many dying slow and agonising deaths.

The Hon. Mark Furner is in charge of removing these death traps, and replacing them with more effective technology to protect both swimmers and marine life.

Mission

The aim of AFD is to stop cruelty to, and gain legal protection for, small cetaceans (dolphins and other small whales). AFD focuses on small cetaceans because these sentient animals do not have adequate legal protection, and are subjected to some of the most extreme cruelty inflicted on animals anywhere in the world.

AFD’s primary goal is to bring an end to unregulated and inhumane hunts that kill thousands of small cetaceans annually. Initially, AFD will focus on the devastating hunts taking place in Taiji, Japan.

AFD also works to end activities that harm Australia’s marine life and to end the practice of dolphin and whale captivity. Scientific studies suggest that dolphins and whales suffer in confinement. Therefore, AFD campaigns to have the practice of cetacean captivity abolished.

While AFD began in Australia, dolphins and whales need our help in many countries and, as such, our efforts to protect them are truly global.

Principles

AFD has the following core principles:

• Its sole purpose is to improve the welfare of dolphins and whales
• It will act lawfully, peacefully and respectfully
• It will not denigrate or criticise the people of Japan or other countries in which dolphin hunting occurs – its argument is only with those few who are involved in the practice of dolphin hunting
• It is committed to using donors’ money wisely, with the aim of maximising the benefit of each dollar for dolphins and whales

How will AFD stop dolphin hunting where it continues?

Where dolphin hunting is taking place illegally, we’ll fight to stop it through the courts. We’ll also bring organisations that support dolphin hunting to account through legal action.

Beyond legal efforts, AFD conducts investigations, research and powerful advocacy campaigns to influence decision-makers to stop dolphin hunting.

AFD also works to bring an end to dolphin and whale captivity. We do this by pushing law reform to ban the practice. AFD also conducts campaigns to expose cruelty to captive dolphins, and pressure aquariums to comply with animal welfare laws.

Most of all, AFD focuses on strategy and results – we aim to achieve the maximum benefit for dolphins and whales.