The killing continues…

A winter morning, the rain lashing down and another dead dolphin washes ashore off Devon. Lissa Goodwin, the Marine Connection's Fisheries & Policy Officer yesterday morning went and recorded another victim of the seemingly endless bycatch slaughter.

The individual had clearly been dead for some time, with decomposition having removed the upper layer of skin and tissue - removing the markings that would have once identified this individual as a common dolphin. Despite the stage of decomposition there was no hiding the broken beak and missing teeth – caused as the individual would have struggled to break free from the nets.

Additionally the individual had a large puncture wound on the left hand side, which may have been caused by the fishermen who hoped that the dolphin would sink to the seabed – never to be seen again. Despite this the animal washed up into the river Tamar in Devon. Although unusual, it is not unheard of for animals to get this far upstream and it would also help to explain the extensive decomposition.

As the Marine Connection continues campaigning for change, mornings like this bring home the fact that dolphins are still being killed indiscriminately off our shores.

How many more have to die before we see change? Click here for more information on bycatch