Marine Life & Conservation
New report highlights actions on how UK Government can save a dolphin a day
Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) has launched a campaign to stop around a thousand whales, dolphins and porpoises dying in nets and other fishing gear each year, a new report issued today from experts at WDC and co-sponsor of the study HSI (Humane Society International), outlines action the UK and devolved Governments can take now to lead the world on preventing bycatch post Brexit and save a dolphin a day suffering death by suffocation.
Based on recent figures, it is estimated that around 1,000 porpoises, hundreds of dolphins and tens of whales suffer and die in UK fishing gear in waters around the coast every year. WDC’s campaign seeks to highlight that urgent action is needed and is critical in particular for populations such as the harbour porpoise 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.
Whilst the EU drags its heels on tackling this matter, the new report – https://uk.whales.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2021/02/cetacean-bycatch-uk-fisheries-problems-solutions.pdf – sets out a range of solutions that the Government and the fishing industry could adopt to reverse the death toll in UK waters and elevate the UK to the world leader in tackling this horrific and unnecessary issue.
Implementing the recommendations in the report now could help to reduce the death rate by the end of 2023 so that bycatch incidents involving marine mammals are all but eradicated (reduced to the occasional accident) by 2030.
WDC’s campaign encourages the UK and devolved Governments to adopt measures to reduce bycatch and increase independent at sea monitoring on fishing vessels by the end of 2021 to track progress. A key action is to start to phase out gill nets (which cause the most deaths) in UK waters, so that alternatives are found for those fisheries with the highest levels of bycatch by 2026.
Bycatch in fisheries is the biggest single killer of whales and dolphins worldwide with several species now close to extinction as a result. Effective solutions developed for UK fisheries could also be used to address the problem elsewhere.
Sarah Dolman, WDCs Bycatch programme lead, said: “No one wants to catch dolphins, porpoises and whales. But bycatch has continued much the same for decades and the research highlights some effective solutions. Now is the time to take action. The Fisheries Act 2020 requires the UK to ‘minimise and where possible eliminate’ dolphin, porpoise and whale bycatch. The UK and devolved governments can fulfil this legal obligation and show global leadership by implementing fleet-wide solutions at sea that will prevent individual dolphins, porpoises and whales suffering, save lives, as well as providing confidence to consumers and the wider public and so benefit fishers.”
Claire Bass, executive director of Humane Society International UK, said: “The seas around the UK are like an assault course for marine mammals, causing largely unseen suffering and death. We would like to see government work with the fishing industry on a plan to phase out fishing gears that are known to be whale, dolphin and porpoise death traps, such as gillnets. Monitoring and reporting of bycatch must also be stepped up, so that timely and effective changes can be put in place to deal with gear or location hotspots. A growing proportion of consumers expect transparency and responsibility in food production, and we fully support WDC’s new campaign to ensure that the suffering caused by the fishing industry will not remain ‘out of sight, out of mind’.”
Russell Leaper, scientist who wrote the report, said: “Good fisheries management involves preventing bycatch. With the changes that are happening in UK fisheries management, there is a real opportunity to make this happen. The best way to do this is by moving away from fishing methods that are the highest risk to our cetaceans.”
For more information about WDC visit their website by clicking here.
Photo Credit: Whale and Dolphin Conservation
The Ocean Cleanup, the global non-profit project, has removed a verified all-time total of ten million kilograms (22 million lbs.) of trash from oceans and rivers around the world – approximately the same weight as the Eiffel Tower.
To complete its mission of ridding the oceans of plastic, The Ocean Cleanup uses a dual strategy: cleaning up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) to remove the plastic already afloat in the oceans, while stopping the flow of plastic from the world’s most polluting rivers.
Through cleaning operations in the GPGP and in rivers in eight countries, the cumulative total of trash removed has now surpassed ten million kilograms. This milestone demonstrates the acceleration of The Ocean Cleanup’s impact, while underlining the astonishing scale of the plastic pollution problem and the need for continued support and action.
While encouraging for the mission, this milestone is only a staging point: millions more tons of plastic still pollute our oceans and The Ocean Cleanup intends to continue learning, improving and innovating to solve this global catastrophe.
This announcement comes as governments from around the world meet to continue negotiations to develop a new legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution at INC4 in Ottawa, Canada. Representatives of The Ocean Cleanup will be in attendance and the organization will be urging decision-makers to collaborate towards a comprehensive and ambitious global treaty which addresses plastic at all stages of its life cycle and in all marine environments worldwide, including in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
It is encouraging to see that the need for remediation is reflected in the various options for potential treaty provisions. It is essential that the final treaty contains clear targets for the remediation of legacy plastic pollution, and reduction of riverine plastic emissions.
Tackling plastic pollution requires innovative and impactful solutions. The treaty should therefore incentivize the innovation ecosystem by fostering innovations that make maximal use of data, technology and scientific knowledge – such as those designed and deployed by The Ocean Cleanup.
‘After many tough years of trial and error, it’s amazing to see our work is starting to pay off – and I am proud of the team who has brought us to this point.’ said Boyan Slat, Founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup. ‘While we still have a long way to go, our recent successes fill us with renewed confidence that the oceans can be cleaned.’
The Ocean Cleanup was founded in 2013 and captured its first plastic in 2019, with the first confirmed catch in the GPGP coming soon after the deployment of Interceptor 001 in Jakarta, Indonesia. After surpassing one million kilograms of trash removed in early 2022, the non-profit project has since progressed to the third iteration of its GPGP cleaning solution, known as System 03, and a network of Interceptors currently covering rivers in eight countries, with more deployments set for 2024.
About The Ocean Cleanup
The Ocean Cleanup is an international non-profit organization that develops and scales technologies to rid the world’s oceans of plastic. They aim to achieve this goal through a dual strategy: stemming the inflow via rivers and cleaning up the legacy plastic that has already accumulated in the ocean. For the latter, The Ocean Cleanup develops large-scale systems to efficiently concentrate the plastic for periodic removal. This plastic is tracked and traced through DNV’s chain of custody model to certify claims of origin when recycling it into new products. To curb the tide via rivers, The Ocean Cleanup has developed Interceptor™ solutions to halt and extract riverine plastic before it reaches the ocean. Founded in 2013 by Boyan Slat, The Ocean Cleanup now employs a broadly multi-disciplined team of approximately 140. The foundation is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
For more information, visit: theoceancleanup.com and follow @theoceancleanup on social media.
Marine Life & Conservation
Steve Backshall to headline Shark Trust’s flagship event: For the Love of Sharks
Join a host of amazing, shark loving, speakers including Steve Backshall and the Shark Trust team for an evening celebrating shark conservation at the Royal Geographical Society in London this November.
Date: 29th November 2024
Time: 6-10pm
Location: Royal Geographical Society, London
Tickets: https://www.sharktrust.org/Event/flos24
The event will be a celebration of all things shark. Those lucky enough to get hold of tickets will hear from engaging guest speakers with a passion for sharks.
The line-up includes (*subject to change if unforeseen circumstances arise)
Steve Backshall: One of television’s busiest presenters, BAFTA award-winning wildlife expert Steve has been passionate about the wild world ever since he was young.
Steve’s impressive TV career has taken him all around the world, investigating a wide array of species and environments. Steve has filmed over 100 hours of children’s wildlife programmes with the BAFTA award winning Deadly 60 franchise and recently, with Sky Nature, for his new series ‘Whale with Steve Backshall’. He has been a patron for the Shark Trust for 10 years.
Simon Rogerson: is a photojournalist specialising in natural history, diving and the sea.
He is editor of SCUBA magazine, the official journal of the British Sub-Aqua Club. Simon started his career as a crime reporter but gravitated towards his ‘less depressing’ interest in underwater exploration, joining the staff of DIVE magazine in 1999. In 2005 he was named ‘Editor of the Year’ in the PPA’s Independent Publishing Awards. Simon also works as a freelance writer, contributing frequently to the Sunday Times and Telegraph, in addition to BBC Wildlife, Esquire, and a host of international diving magazines. He is the author of a book, Dive Red Sea, published by Ultimate Sports. Now based in Berkshire, Simon has been a Patron of the Shark Trust for 20 years.
More speakers to be announced soon. Head to the Shark Trust website to learn more.
The evening will also allow guests the final chance to see the Oceanic 31, shark art exhibition. Some of the artwork will be auctioned/raffled at the event, while the rest will be auctioned online to raise money for the Shark Trust Oceanic Programme.
For the Love of Sharks is an evening with something for everyone who is interested and fascinated by sharks. Join the Shark Trust, their Patrons, Trustees and Staff, along with a host of supporters for this celebration of shark conservation.
For more information or to buy a ticket: https://www.sharktrust.org/Event/flos24
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