All over the world dolphin populations are threatened by fisheries, habitat destruction, climate change, pollution, and underwater noise from seismic surveys and military sonar. It is estimated that, world wide, almost every minute a dolphin is killed in a fishing net.

The Year of the Dolphin 2007 has been announced in September 2006 by Prince Albert II of Monaco, who acts a Patron of the Year; its world wide coordination is at UNEP-CMS in Bonn. NatureNet Europe is a Year of the Dolphin Associate and therefore encouraging its member organisations to prepare national activities and campaigns in the framework of the Year of the Dolphin. The campaign is part of the "Beautiful Europe" programme. In the Netherlands a National Committee already has been established involving 25 organisations and government agencies and a unique coalition of nature and fisheries organisations.

The campaign will focus on information and education to create a better awareness of dolphins and their protection, educate and inform decision makers and involve local communities and industry. Therefore, the Year of the Dolphin will be part of the UN Decade on Education for Sustainable Development. The campaign is also a tangible contribution towards meeting targets to reduce the loss of wildlife by 2010 which all Governments have agreed through the UN.

European Dolphin Fund
In close collaboration with UNEP-CMS NatureNet Europe has established a European Dolphin Fund to support concrete activities for dolphin conservation in Europe and the Mediterranean. Priorities of the Dolphin Fund include:
 improve the protection of dolphins in practice;
 prevention and reduction of dolphin victims in fishing nets;
 prevention of disturbance of dolphins by whale watching;
 education, awareness and research promoting dolphin conservation;
 collaboration with UNEP CMS for the Year of the Dolphin campaign.

There will be a close collaboration between the campaigns in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Read more at: www.yod2007.org, www.dolphinfund.eu, www.jaarvandedolfijn.nl, www.natureneteurope.org