Committee sees dolphins join space
programme!
JNCC visit Moray Firth on latest
meeting fact-finding mission
Once a year, the Joint Committee combines
one of its quarterly business meetings with a field visit, in order
to consider an issue of UK conservation importance in detail. The
hosts for this year's field meeting were Scottish Natural Heritage
(SNH), and the issue under consideration was the conservation of
dolphins and porpoises in UK waters.
One of the most significant threats facing these animals
concerns the numbers which are accidentally killed as a result of
getting caught in fishing gear, including in gill nets and
mid-water trawls. In March 2004, a new EC Regulation was adopted
which will require the use of acoustic deterrents or 'pingers' on
gill nets deployed from vessels greater than 12m in length.
The effect of this measure is expected to be a substantial
reduction in mortality of porpoises and dolphins arising from the
use of these nets. Its introduction is welcomed. The Regulation,
however, does not resolve the problem that significant numbers of
common dolphins are killed accidentally by pelagic trawl fisheries
in south-western waters, and this remains a matter of concern.
Defra are pressing the European Commission for Community action to
address this problem.
During its field visit, the Joint Committee considered, in
addition to these fishing issues, the particular conservation
requirements of the bottlenose dolphin population resident in the
waters of the Moray Firth and adjacent sea areas. The Moray Firth
is one of two UK sites submitted to the European Commission as
candidate Special Areas of Conservation (cSACs) for bottlenose
dolphin under the EC Habitats Directive (the other is Cardigan
Bay). The Moray Firth population of about 130 dolphins is the
subject of ongoing research into population status and dynamics by
Aberdeen University and the Sea Mammal Research Unit. One of the
possible impacts on the population is disturbance caused by
boats engaged in dolphin-watching activities in the Firth. The
Dolphin Space Programme has been introduced to manage and reduce
this impact.
Contact file:
Eunice Pinn
Tel: +44 (0)1224 655718
Email: