Posts Tagged ‘Bycatch’
Half a million net death petition handed to EU Commission
Over half a million citizens have signed a petition to demand action to stop thousands of dolphins dying in fishing nets (bycatch) in the Bay of Biscay. The petition has been handed over to European Commission Deputy Director General of DG Environment, Patrick Child, the French Director of Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Eric Banel, and…
Read MoreDarwin Initiative boosts whale and dolphin protection work in Senegal
WDC’s work to protect significant numbers of whales and dolphins dying in fishing nets and gear in Senegal, as well as other threats they face, has received a substantial Partnership Project funding boost from the Darwin Initiative. The Darwin Initiative is a UK government grants scheme that funds projects to protect biodiversity and the natural environment in developing…
Read MoreSignificant victory for WDC in fight to save world’s smallest dolphins
A significant victory in the fight to save dolphins in New Zealand from extinction has been achieved after stricter fishing and environmental protections for the critically endangered Māui and endangered Hector’s dolphins have been sanctioned by the government. The move comes after a long campaign by WDC and gives the Māui and Hector’s a fighting chance…
Read MoreWDC funded research shows ‘pingers’ could save porpoises from fishing nets
Underwater sound devices called ‘pingers’ could be an effective, long-term way to prevent porpoises getting caught in fishing nets without having negative effects on their everyday behaviour. Newly published research part funded by WDC shows that porpoises in the seas off Cornwall were 37% less likely to be found close to an active pinger. Pingers are…
Read More80,000 dolphins dying each year in Indian Ocean nets
A new report has revealed the shocking figures behind dolphin deaths in fishing nets in the Indian Ocean, suggesting that populations may have dropped by over 80% in recent decades. The study, led by Dr Charles Anderson of the Manta Marine organisation and published in the journal Endangered Species Research, paints a catastrophic picture, revealing…
Read MoreBuying fish – can you ever be sure that dolphins haven’t suffered?
In the future, dolphins, porpoises and whales won’t get caught in fishing gear – that’s our goal. Entanglement in fishing nets and gear is known as ‘bycatch’ and it’s the biggest threat to dolphins, porpoises and whales on the planet today. Nobody, including fishers, wants them to suffer this way. But until this future, is…
Read MoreWDC in talks with New Zealand‘s Minister for Conservation over dolphin protection
WDC team meets NZ Minister for Conservation Representatives from Whale and Dolphin Conservation have met with New Zealand’s Minister for Conservation, Eugenie Sage to discuss much-needed protection for Māui and Hector’s dolphins. The meeting was secured as part of WDC’s campaign to save these dolphins (collectively known as New Zealand dolphins) and took place as the…
Read MoreAre France and Spain looking to weaken protection for whales and dolphins?
As EU governments continue to negotiate the terms of the Technical Measures under the European Common Fisheries Policy, it is emerging that French and Spanish Ministers seem set to choose fishing interests over the legal protection of dolphins, and other protected marine life, from entanglement in fishing gear in European waters. Entanglement in fishing nets and gear…
Read MoreWhat we must do to protect UK dolphins, porpoises and whales from fishing gear after Brexit
How the UK manages fishing in its waters after we leave the EU is outlined in the new Fisheries Bill. This legislation is working its way through the House of Commons and had its second reading last week. You may have been one of the 75,535 people who joined our campaign asking for a new…
Read MoreUrgent step change needed to stop dolphins suffering in fishing nets
Does sustainably caught fish mean no harm has come to dolphins? The quick answer to that question is ‘no’. If you buy fish with a ‘sustainably caught’ or ‘dolphin safe’ eco-label, unless caught with a pole and line, you have no way of knowing whether dolphins, porpoises or whales suffered and died in the process…
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