Plight of South West Dolphins to be raised with EU Fisheries Commissioner

Following the publication of the South West Dolphin Report by Marine Connection and The Wildlife Trusts in May this year, Lissa Goodwin (Fisheries & Policy Officer for Marine Connection) and Lisa Browning (Marine Development Manager for The Wildlife Trusts) have been invited to meet with European Fisheries & Maritime Affairs Commissioner, Joe Borg in Strasbourg, France on 11th July. Joining them will be South West England MEP, Neil Parish, who was instrumental in arranging the meeting and Struan Stevenson MEP.

The report 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. It also highlights the 14 species of whale, dolphin and porpoise which are regularly seen off the coasts of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and highlights some of the best places to see them. With entanglement in fishing gear representing the number one cause of death in stranded dolphins, the report makes a number of recommendations at both a European and UK level. During the course of the meeting, the main findings of the report will be presented and discussed with the Commissioner. High on the agenda will be the current EU Regulation No. 812/2004 which makes pingers mandatory for fishing vessels over 12m in length, which are using bottom-set gill and tangling nets in specified regions. Despite this regulation many fishing fleets here in the UK and within Europe continue to operate without pingers. It is also intended that the wider European problem of common dolphin bycatch in pair trawling operations for bass will be discussed.

Lissa Goodwin comments “We are very pleased that our concerns are being taken seriously in Europe and we are grateful to have the opportunity to discuss our findings with the Fisheries Commissioner. It is vital that we increase the understanding of the problems dolphins face so that we can prevent further cetaceans dying as a result of fishing practices. We hope to discuss with Commissioner Joe Borg the wider need for both bycatch mitigation and fishery management measures to address the problem.”

Additionally the Marine Connection and the Wildlife Trusts will jointly present the Commissioner with 371,000 signed petitions calling for immediate action to end cetacean bycatch, demonstrating the continued level of public support.

Neil Parish MEP said: "Bass pair trawling is responsible for thousands of needless dolphin and whale deaths every year, and it must be banned. The UK government has been able to place a ban on pair trawling in her territorial waters, but it needs to be effective at a European level.”

"The European Union can ban bass pair trawling, but it has been held back by a lack of will from the European Commission. Our message to the Commission will be: you have the power, now it is time to use it."

The South West Dolphin report showed that urgent action is needed to help our surviving dolphins and it is hoped that this meeting will be a major step towards such change.

Click here for further information or to download a copy of the report