Action urged to prevent fishing gear deaths of porpoises, dolphins and whales

ITV ‘More than a thousand porpoises, dolphins and whales die in fishing gear in UK waters each year, conservationists warned, as they called for action to end the “largely unseen suffering”. Campaigners are calling for the UK and devolved governments to meet their commitment in the post-Brexit Fisheries Act to “minimise and where possible eliminate” dolphin, porpoise and whale bycatch from UK fishing activities.

A campaign by Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) is urging ministers to set clear, ambitious, annual targets to reduce cetacean deaths from fishing and phase out nets that pose the greatest risk to marine mammals.

It is also calling for investment in trials and roll-out of alternative and modified gear for the UK fleet, and more independent monitoring of bycatch.

Urgent action is needed particularly to protect harbour porpoises in the Celtic Sea and English Channel, humpback and minke whales in Scottish waters, and common dolphin populations in the Bay of Biscay and Celtic Sea, WDC said.

A new report for WDC and Humane Society International (HSI) suggests a series of actions that the conservation groups say could largely eradicate accidental catch and killing of porpoises, dolphins and whales by 2030.

That includes a phasing out of gillnets, fixed fishing nets which are anchored to the seabed and are the biggest threat to species such as harbour porpoises – though they account for just 2% of UK fishery catches.

An estimated 1,000 harbour porpoises and around 250 common dolphins die each year in gillnets, becoming entangled and suffocating to death.

More than a thousand porpoises, dolphins and whales die in fishing gear in UK waters each year, conservationists warned, as they called for action to end the “largely unseen suffering”.

Campaigners are calling for the UK and devolved governments to meet their commitment in the post-Brexit Fisheries Act to “minimise and where possible eliminate” dolphin, porpoise and whale bycatch from UK fishing activities.

A campaign by Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) is urging ministers to set clear, ambitious, annual targets to reduce cetacean deaths from fishing and phase out nets that pose the greatest risk to marine mammals.

It is also calling for investment in trials and roll-out of alternative and modified gear for the UK fleet, and more independent monitoring of bycatch.

Urgent action is needed particularly to protect harbour porpoises in the Celtic Sea and English Channel, humpback and minke whales in Scottish waters, and common dolphin populations in the Bay of Biscay and Celtic Sea, WDC said.

A new report for WDC and Humane Society International (HSI) suggests a series of actions that the conservation groups say could largely eradicate accidental catch and killing of porpoises, dolphins and whales by 2030.

That includes a phasing out of gillnets, fixed fishing nets which are anchored to the seabed and are the biggest threat to species such as harbour porpoises – though they account for just 2% of UK fishery catches.

An estimated 1,000 harbour porpoises and around 250 common dolphins die each year in gillnets, becoming entangled and suffocating to death.’ Click here to continue

1st Meeting of the Joint Bycatch Working Group of ACCOBAMS and ASCOBANS

The Joint Bycatch Working Group (JBWG) of ACCOBAMS and ASCOBANS was established in 2019.  The first meeting was originally planned for 2020, but due to the ongoing pandemic it was postponed, and will now be held online from 10 to 12 February 2021.  Terms of Reference of the working group can be found here.

Deadline for registrations via this online form is 1 February 2021.  Kindly note that the meeting link will only be sent to registered participants.

National and regional fisheries representatives and other interested stakeholders are welcome to attend as observers on Day 1 and Day 2.