A dead dolphin encased in ice was today delivered to the Government's doorstep by Greenpeace, in protest at the numbers of dolphins killed by UK fishing boats and the Government's lack of action to stop the problem.
The dolphin was killed by a trawler, and was recovered recently in the Channel by a Greenpeace ship investigating dolphin deaths caused by fishing fleets. The dolphin bears the tell-tale signs of having been caught in a net, including cut and torn fins and flipper and a broken beak and teeth.
A legal challenge was also launched today by the environmental group to force the Fisheries Minister, Ben Bradshaw, to ban UK fishing boats from pair trawling for sea bass - a method of fishing which involves two boats dragging a net which can be as large as several football pitches. Greenpeace argue that this type of fishing is responsible for the deaths of thousands of dolphins around the UK every year and, by not addressing the problem, the Government is not fulfilling its legal obligations.
According to the EU Habitats Directive, the Government is obliged to ensure that the accidental capture and killing of certain species, including dolphins, 'does not have a significant negative impact on the species concerned'. The Government already has irrefutable evidence that the UK sea bass pair trawling fleet kill dolphins, according to Greenpeace.
At 7.30am this morning, the dolphin was placed on the doorstep of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The structure weighs around two tonnes.
Sarah Duthie, Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner, said:
"For far too long, the Government has continued to allow destructive fishing practices to push dolphins around the UK towards extinction. By allowing this killing to continue, the Government is failing in its legal obligation to protect dolphins, and that is why Greenpeace is today mounting a legal challenge.
"This dolphin on their doorstep represents only the tip of the iceberg - thousands of dolphins die each year around the UK. The Government can no longer bury their heads in the sand and neglect this problem."
The unintentional capture in fishing nets of dolphins, porpoises and other marine species is recognised to be a major problem world-wide. It is estimated to kill some 300,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises a year. Overall, it has been estimated that 23% of the global fisheries catch is returned, dead, to the sea.
Further information:
For more information, contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255 or 07717 704 577.
Read our report 'The Net Effect - A review of cetacean bycatch in pelagic trawls and other fisheries in the north-east Atlantic'.
