The World Sustainability Foundation (WSF) is announcing the launch of the international “Save the Belugas” campaign. The campaign aims to raise public awareness and promote concrete actions to protect beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas), a flagship species of Arctic ecosystems.
Although commonly called whales, belugas are actually more closely related to dolphins. They are also known as “sea canaries” due to their high-pitched and varied vocalisations, and “white whales” because of their distinctive colouration that makes them unmistakable. Characterised by a rounded head – known as a “melon” – which acts as an organ for echolocation, belugas have an extraordinary adaptability to the Arctic environment, thanks to the absence of a dorsal fin that allows them to swim easily under the ice. They can reach a length of 5.5 metres and a weight of 1.6 tonnes. Belugas are brilliant social creatures and live in social groups of around ten individuals. Still, they can form aggregations of hundreds of individuals in estuaries and shallow coastal areas in summer.
The threats facing belugas
For centuries, indigenous populations such as the Inuit have hunted belugas sustainably, according to their ancient cultural traditions. However, today, the species is seriously threatened by far more serious causes:
- Climate change causes ice melting and alters their migratory routes and hunting grounds.
- Pollution, especially in the Arctic Seas, where chemicals and heavy metals accumulate in the body fat of belugas, damaging their health.
- Infectious diseases, collisions with boats, captures for entertainment and industrial activities that disrupt their natural habitats.
As apex predators in the food chain, belugas play an essential role in marine balance.
The actions of the “Save the Belugas” campaign
The WSF, through this initiative, is promoting several actions:
- Education and awareness: disseminating information about the importance of belugas and the threats they face.
- Support initiatives such as OneWhale, a non-profit organisation active in Norway, which is dedicated to protecting and monitoring belugas, particularly those in captivity.
- Support for creating the first Arctic sanctuary to rehabilitate cetaceans that have lived in captivity, offering a new lease of life to individuals such as Bella, a young beluga currently confined to an aquarium in South Korea.
- Promotion of sustainable practices: encouraging the purchase of certified sustainable products and the reduction of marine pollution.
“Belugas represent a fundamental element of Arctic marine ecosystems, and their protection is essential not only for marine biodiversity but for the entire environmental balance of the polar regions,” states Paolo Bray, founder and director of the WSF. “With the ‘Save the Belugas’ campaign we intend to mobilise resources, raise public awareness and implement concrete conservation actions.“
How to contribute
The World Sustainability Foundation invites members of the public, businesses, and institutions to join the campaign by making donations, spreading awareness on social media, and adopting responsible behaviours that can contribute to protecting the marine habitat.
For further information and to join the campaign, please visit: Save the Belugas.
