Wild cetacean populations facing prey depletion, pollution, and noise experience chronic stress - the welfare dimension of population decline deserves greater recognition.
Wild cetacean welfare is inseparable from the health of marine ecosystems. Whales, dolphins, and porpoises experiencing prey scarcity must forage more intensively - reducing time for rest, socialisation, and calf nursing. Chronic acoustic pollution impairs communication and navigation. These are not just conservation concerns: they represent ongoing individual welfare harm at population scale. The welfare lens adds moral urgency to conservation action - reducing shipping noise, protecting prey species, and managing marine pollution are welfare interventions, not only conservation measures.