Petra Deimer | |
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Born | |
Nationality | German |
Occupation(s) | Marine biologist, journalist, activist, conservationist |
Petra Deimer (born 9 March 1948, in Göttingen) is a German marine biologist, and nature conservationist who has been actively involved in the study and protection of marine mammals, particularly cetaceans, since the mid-1970s.
Deimer gained her PhD in marine biology, with a particular focus on sperm whales, at the University of Hamburg. [1] In the late 1970s many species of whale, including sperm whales, were in danger of extinction. [2] As a result of Deimer's actions, the archipelago of Madeira was declared a protection zone for marine mammals, and commercial whaling around Madeira ceased in 1981. [3]
She contributed significantly to the decision of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to ban commercial whaling in July 1982. [4] In 1983 Deimer ensured that the trade in Minke whales was also banned. [5]
Deimer is the founder and president of the Society for the Conservation of Marine Mammals (Gesellschaft zum Schutz der Meeressäugetiere; GSM). [6] She is a member of the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) Scientific Committee, a member of the German government's Species Conservation Advisory Committee, and an advisor to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). [3]
[7] In 2001, Deimer was awarded the Golden Ark for nature conservation by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands. [3]
Deimer has written six books, and numerous articles on whales, dolphins, and seals, as well as on environmental conservation more generally. She has also written a book on parrots.[ citation needed]