Philippa Brakes

Philippa Brakes is a marine biologist, specialising in marine mammal issues. She has served as an expert on cetacean welfare issues and whaling policy with the New Zealand Government delegation to the International Whaling Commission, as well as an informal adviser to other Government and non-Government delegations, as a lecturer in Zoological Conservation Management, as Marine Advisor to the RSCPA and as the Curator of a British Zoological Gardens. She is also the author of numerous reports, papers and conference presentations on marine mammal welfare and ethics.

Philippa’s academic focus is on developing a more sophisticated approach towards the management of socially complex mammals such as cetaceans. Her interest is the evolution from traditional genetic and geographic boundaries towards protecting lower orders of organisation, such as cultural units, and recognising the conservation value of the individual and smaller social groups to encourage the advancement of scientifically and ethically sound conservation approaches. Philippa currently serves as a Senior Biologist with Whale and Dolphin Conservation.

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