It might have been better if 2006 had been the year of the dolphin, considering this. According to this story, the UN has declared 2007 the Year of the Dolphin.

Major threats to their survival include entanglement in fishing nets, marine pollution, prey depletion and hunting.

Scientists have developed an artificial insemination technique and ways of freezing and transporting sperm for captive dolphins.

The Year of the Dolphin will be part of the UN Decade on Education for Sustainable Development. A campaign under Prince Albert II of Monaco, involving non-governmental organisations and the private sector, has been launched to protect them.