Government dolphin protection measures exposed as hollow gesture in High Court

Government measures to conserve dolphin populations in the English Channel were exposed as merely a hollow political gesture in the High Court today.

Mr Justice Stanley Burnton concluded that decision-making by Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw was based on 'no substantial scientific basis'. However, the Judge refused to back Greenpeace and quash Bradshaw's decision to ban pair trawling up to 12 miles from Britain's coasts, despite citing Bradshaw's own admission that the ban is 'more of a gesture really than anything that would actually help the dolphin and porpoise population'.

The Judge granted Greenpeace leave to appeal and noted that it was in the public interest to bring the case, and that there should be no order for costs against Greenpeace.

The ban was announced in September last year despite advice from government-funded scientists and conservation groups that it would be ineffective and, by forcing fishing vessels into areas with more dolphins, could even lead to an increase in dolphin deaths.

Greenpeace oceans campaigner Willie Mackenzie said:

"We always knew that the 12 mile ban was a political fig leaf to try and placate those people who want dolphins protected, while allowing fishing to carry on as normal. Now this High Court ruling has exposed this conservation measure as a sham."

Pair trawling, a fishing method normally used to catch sea bass, involves two boats dragging a huge net between them. Dolphins are trapped in the nets and drown. Last year, government observers witnessed just one pair of UK trawlers killing more than 150 dolphins. The UK and French fleets combined are estimated to drown more than 2000 common dolphins a year.

Research by Government scientists has found that there is a higher rate of dolphin bycatch beyond 12 miles and population studies suggest that common dolphins are more frequently observed further out at sea than 12 miles. Therefore any legal measure that displaces fishing vessels beyond the 12-mile coastal zone is likely to lead to more dolphins being trapped and drowned in nets.

Greenpeace is calling on Ben Bradshaw to ban pair trawling up to the mid-point of the English Channel (the limit of British sovereignty) and work with the European Commission to achieve a total ban on this fishery.

Willie Mackenzie added:

"The Government has the power to protect dolphins in half the English Channel but instead they've been hiding behind meaningless conservation gestures and putting fishermen before dolphin populations."

For more information, contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255.