Pygmy killer whale  (Feresa attenuata)

While the pygmy killer whale is not believed to be seriously threatened at present, its naturally low abundance means that even small takes could have a significant impact on local populations (7). Pygmy killer whales are captured intentionally in fisheries in St Vincent and Indonesia (2), where the whale meat may be consumed and the oil used for cooking and medicinal purposes (8), and in Sri Lanka, pygmy killer whales are harpooned and used as bait in long-line fisheries for sharks, billfish and other oceanic fishes. Pygmy killer whales are also caught incidentally in many areas (2).

The pygmy killer whale is listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), meaning that any international trade in this species should be carefully regulated (3). There are not known to be any other measures in place at present to protect this enigmatic and intriguing ocean mammal.