News Archive
Seismic threat to Critically Endangered whales
A seismic survey planned by the Russian petroleum company Rosneft in summer 2010 poses a major threat to the Critically Endangered Western Gray Whale population. In a letter to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the Director General of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Julia Marton-Lefèvre, urges the Russian government to intervene to postpone the seismic survey and prevent a serious setback for animal conservation. …
24 May 2010 | International news release
Can scientists and oil consortium save endangered whales?
Survival and recovery of the Western Gray Whale population depends on continued and strengthened collaboration among scientists, governments and industry. The 8th meeting of the Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel, held in Geneva on 16-18 April 2010, promoted this crucial multi-stakeholder dialogue and led to the development of new recommendations to minimize industry impacts on endangered whales. …
23 Apr 2010 | News story
Dead western gray whale found at Sakhalin
A western gray whale carcass was found washed ashore at Chaivo Bay, Sakhalin Island, by a local hunter in early September. …
25 Oct 2009 | News story
Panel strongly concerned about industry’s negative impact on whale
Significant changes in the distribution and behaviour of whales was noted in the 2008 feeding season off Sakhalin Island. An independent panel of scientists has recommended a moratorium on all activities by oil and gas companies in eastern Russia that could adversely affect the western gray whale population. …
25 Jun 2009 | News story
IUCN welcomes reprieve for whales
IUCN is delighted that Sakhalin Energy followed the advice of an expert panel and stopped all seismic surveys affecting the Western Gray Whale. …
28 Apr 2009 | News story
Stop all oil and gas activities that could harm Western Gray Whales, says panel
An independent panel of scientists has recommended a moratorium on all activities by oil and gas companies in eastern Russia that could adversely affect the Western Gray Whale population. …
24 Apr 2009 | International news release
Scientists concerned about Sakhalin Energy’s inadequate collaboration on whale conservation
The 5th Report from the Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel (WGWAP) published last week expressed strong concerns about Sakhalin Energy’s inadequate collaboration on whale conservation on the Sakhalin shelf in eastern Russia. The Sakhalin shelf is not only the location of one of the largest oil and gas developments in the world, but also the principal known feeding grounds for the critically endangered western gray whales. …
12 Feb 2009 | News story
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Scientists send distress signal to Russian PM Vladimir Putin over oil project's threat to rare whales
A panel of whale scientists convened by IUCN has addressed an open letter to the Russian Prime Minister to highlight the lack of transparency in oil operations off eastern Russia, which could seriously imact the already critically-endangered western gray whale population . …
10 Jul 2008 | News story
Scientists work with oil consortium to limit effects of seismic work on critically-endangered whale population
A taskforce of whale and oil industry experts convened by IUCN have published a list of monitoring and mitigation measures aimed at minimising the impacts of a seismic survey off Sakhalin Island in eastern Russia scheduled for 2009. …
30 Jun 2008 | News story
Construct an oil pipeline next to gray whale feeding area? Think twice, warns independent panel of scientists
Members of the Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel, an independent scientific body convened by IUCN, have voiced their concern to Exxon Neftegaz Ltd. over plans to build an oil pipeline and an ice bridge across the Piltun Lagoon on the Sakhalin Island. The Lagoon is believed to be of crucial importance for the productivity of species on which western gray whales feed. …
07 May 2008 | News story
