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Vaquita. Photo Thomas Jefferson

Scientific Committee gives first ever official species extinction warning

Photo: Thomas Jefferson We have welcomed the urgent call by experts to protect the vaquita...
blue whale

Whale fossil from Peru may have been heavier than blue whale

Scientists examining the bones of a 39 million-year-old ancient whale have concluded that it may...
Humpback whale © Christopher Swann

Humpback whales breach in synchronisation

Humpback whales are renowned for their incredible acrobatic displays, but a family in the USA...
Long-finned pilot whale

Unusual activity witnessed before pilot whale stranding

Just days after a pod of long-finned pilot whales stranded on an island in the...
All policy news
  • All policy news
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Stop whaling
  • Strandings
Port River dolphins

New report reveals 100,000 dolphins and small whales hunted every year

When you hear the words ‘dolphin hunts’ it’s likely that you think of Japan or...

Minke whale hunts stop in Iceland

Iceland’s commercial hunt of minke whales has ended for this year. The common minke whale is the...

Japan set to resume commercial whaling

Reports from Japan suggest that the government they will formally propose plans to resume commercial...

End the whale hunts! Icelandic fin whaler isolated as public mood shifts

Here’s a sight I hoped never again to witness. A boat being scrubbed and repainted...

Australian Government to block Japanese whaling proposal

Japanese Government officials have reportedly confirmed that they will propose the resumption of commercial whaling...

Did Icelandic whalers really kill a blue whale?

*Warning - this blog contains an image that you may find upsetting* They say a...

Icelandic whalers breach international law and kill iconic, protected whale by mistake

Icelandic whalers out hunting fin whales for the first time in three years appear to...

Pregnant whales once again a target for Japanese whalers

Figures from Japan's whaling expedition to Antarctica during the 2017/18 austral summer have revealed that...

Doubts remain after Icelandic Marine Institute claims slaughtered whale was a hybrid not a blue

Experts remain sceptical of initial test results issued by the Icelandic Marine Institute, which indicate...

Icelandic fin whale hunting to resume

Iceland’s only fin whaling company, Hvalur hf,  announced today that it will resume fin whaling...

Norway increases whaling quota despite declining demand

Norway's government has announced an increase in the number of minke whales that can be...

Norway's whaling season begins

April 1st saw the start of the whaling season in Norway. Despite a widely-accepted international moratorium...

Concern grows over rising dolphin and porpoise deaths in UK and France

The growing numbers of dolphins and porpoises washing up dead on the south west coast of the UK is continuing to cause concern.

Over 100 have been reported dead on beaches in Cornwall and in fishing boat nets in eight weeks, according to the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, bringing the toll for last year to 205.

Of particular concern is the manner of these deaths with many being caught in fishing nets. Of 13 taken for recent post-mortem examinations, five showed signs of being caught in nets. The larger (often French) trawlers operating out to sea have been cited as a possible cause, with local Cornish trawler men reporting that they are often hauling up already dead and rotting dolphins.

Whilst it is still not completely clear what is behind the recent strandings, or indeed how unusual the number of deaths maybe, unless a post mortem (or necropsy) is carried out on the individuals quickly, it becomes very difficult to ascertain the cause of death. It has not been possible to carry out necropsies on many of these dead whales and dolphins because the bodies are too decomposed, but potential causes include illness, the effects of pollution as well as entanglement in fishing nets.

Thousands of dolphins and porpoises die in nets in UK waters every year and most of the protection these vulnerable creatures have comes from the EU. But, after Brexit they won’t even have that. We need the English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments to make sure effective laws are in place to protect dolphins, porpoises and whales in UK seas after Britain leaves the EU.

Since February 3rd, almost 200 dolphins and porpoises have been found stranded along the French Atlantic coast, between the Loire and Gironde estuaries. Ninety eight percent of the recorded stranded animals were common dolphins most examined by Observatoire PELAGIS or members of French stranding network (Reseau National Echouage or RNE).  Of the 68 examinations 85% showed evidences capture in fishing gear or nets. These included broken beaks, cut-off fin or tail fluke, external net marks, and froth in lungs.

Dolphins can’t breathe underwater. Trapped in a net, they will panic, and many are injured as they try to escape. When they can’t struggle any more, they will close their blowhole and drown.

Next week sees the launch of a new campaign by WDC to try to reduce the scale of these terrible deaths.