Conservation Status
Many Dall's porpoises are killed each year as by-catch in fishing nets. A serious cause of concern is the hunting of the species by harpoon by Japanese hunters. The number of porpoise caught each year rose dramatically following the moratorium on hunting larger cetaceans introduced in the mid-1980s. The greatest number were caught in 1988, when more than 40,000 were taken. International attention to the hunt through a 1990 International Whaling Commission (IWC) resolution resulted in a reduction in numbers caught; however, around 15,000 animals are still caught each year, making it the largest direct hunt of any cetacean species in the world. The hunt has been repeatedly criticized by the IWC and its Scientific Committee, most recently in 2008. A quota of just over 16,000 individuals per year is now in effect. In addition, unknown numbers of animals are struck and lost or caught as by catch. Despite these threats, Dall's porpoise remains a fairly common species with productive populations.
Dall's porpoise is listed on Appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). It is listed on Appendix II as it has an unfavorable conservation status or would benefit significantly from international co-operation organized by tailored agreements.
Read more about this topic: Dall's Porpoise
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