Every day whales and dolphins face being entangled in fishing nets, poisoned by chemicals, harassed, hunted, starved and evicted from where they feed, breed and take shelter. Yet few of the areas on which even the most endangered populations depend for survival are protected.
These long-lived, social mammals need safe homes in the sea %u2013 protected places where they can raise their families, find food, rest and play.
The need for large, highly protected safe havens is urgent.
I, the undersigned, demand that the leaders of my government, the governments of the world and the appropriate international conservation agreements work together to create a global network of marine protected areas (MPAs) for whales and dolphins, and other marine life and ecosystems.