DOLPHIN DISASTER

Entanglement in fishing gear is the number one cause of death in stranded porpoises and dolphins.

The Wildlife Trusts continually campaign to prevent these needless deaths.

Common dolphin washed up dead © Jeff Loveridge

The South West Dolphin Report

The South West of England is one of the UK’s best locations for observing whales, dolphins and porpoises (known collectively as cetaceans). This report by Marine Connection and The Wildlife Trusts examines 14 years of cetacean records from the South West of England and summarises what needs to be done to ensure a safe and healthy future for these animals off our coast.

In addition to celebrating the dolphins which frequent the waters off the South West, the report also has a much more alarming finding – a decline in sightings for some species, in particular the bottlenose dolphin and an increase in the number of dead dolphins washing up on our beaches.

Sightings of the charismatic bottlenose dolphin have decreased since 1990 and this has caused many scientists and researchers to believe that we are witnessing a decline in the local population.

Entanglement in fishing gear is the number one cause of death in stranded cetaceans, particularly common dolphins and harbour porpoises. If we want to reduce human impacts on dolphins and protect the region’s dolphins then we need to take urgent action.

Sighting and stranding data are making an important contribution to cetacean conservation, but dedicated, specialist research is also critical. The report recommends an increase in research in specific areas, as well as more immediate measures to reduce dolphin deaths, such as better fisheries management and the deployment of ‘pingers’ on bottom-set gill and tangle-nets.

What is clear from this report is that unless immediate action is taken we could be seeing the last dolphins to grace the South West shores of England.

To download a summary copy of the South West Dolphin Report click here.

To download a low resolution copy of the full report click here; a high resolution copy of the full report on CD can be requested by emailing Living Seas officer, Dr Lissa Goodwin lgoodwin@wildlifetrusts.org

Going to Europe!

Representatives of both The Wildlife Trusts and Marine Connection presented the findings of the report to the European Fisheries & Maritime Affairs Commissioner, Joe Borg, in July 2007.

We presented the Commissioner with a total of 371,000 petitions calling for an end to bycatch.  

To demonstrate such a high level of public concern was a fantastic achievement, made possible because of the hard work by the local Wildlife Trusts our many supporters.  Thank you for your support.

Following the meeting with the EU Fisheries Commissioner we met with the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) in December 2007.  

ICES were sympathetic to our concerns and discussed the relevant areas of their work for the coming year. In the future we hope to maintain these links and continue to work with ICES, especially as the European Commission reviews EU Regulation 812/2004 and decides the way forward.

Debate in the House of Commons

The Wildlife Trusts' work on bycatch was highlighted in a debate on bycatch. Click here to read the debate.