Cornwall says save our dolphins (From Falmouth Packet)

Cornwall says save our dolphins

2:42pm Wednesday 22nd October 2008 in News

Cornwall Wildlife Trust is appealing for donations for pingers that could save hundreds of Cornwall’s dolphins and porpoises.

The Trust wants to conduct a trial of pingers on fishing vessels which are acoustic deterrent devices fitted on to fishing nets. Pingers emit a regular sonic noise which can be heard by dolphins and porpoises and scare them away from nets. Cornwall Sea Fisheries officers are supporting the Trust in this project and have already identified three fishermen who are interested in participating in the trial.

Tom Hardy, Marine Conservation Officer for Cornwall Wildlife Trust says: “The stranding of 26 common dolphins in Froe Creek this summer was a big shock to everyone. It is a tragedy that so many animals died in one day but these deaths are only a fraction of the number of animals that die each year in fishing nets.”

Since 1995 Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Marine Strandings Network volunteers have recorded over 1,100 dead dolphins, porpoises and whales, collectively known as cetaceans, washed up on Cornwall’s beaches. Entanglement in fishing gear is the most common cause of death for these animals, with over 70% confirmed as bycatch.

Tom Hardy Marine Conservation Officer for Cornwall Wildlife Trust said: “Cornwall Wildlife Trust need to start work now on the pinger trials so that, working together with fishermen we can protect dolphins from net entanglement before it’s too late.”

Since 2004 EC member states have been obliged to make pingers mandatory on vessels greater than 12 metres in length using static nets. However the UK government is yet to implement this in our seas. In addition there are currently no efforts to tackle bycatch of cetaceans in smaller vessels, less than 12 metres in length; which fall outside EC regulation.

Another crucial element of this trial will be investigating the reaction of different species to the pingers. The Trust will monitor this using C-PODs; devices which record and log the sounds of cetaceans invented by Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Dr Nick Tregenza. Several C-PODS will be deployed off fishing vessels in order to assess the approach rate of the animals to the boats. The Trust is also proposing to deploy C-PODs off moorings in St Austell Bay and Mounts Bay, two areas where bycatch has historically occurred.

Dr Nick Tregenza said: “Our bottlenose dolphins need every bit of help they can get. Reducing the risk of death in static nets is a really important contribution to giving them the chance to really re-establish the Cornish population.”

Cornwall Wildlife Trust is asking for donations to fund this project, and any donations can be used as match funding, for every £1 you give, they can get up to £10 worth of funding and all donations will be used solely for the pinger trial. One pinger costs £55, a mooring costs £150 and a C-POD costs £1000.

The public and business alike can all donate to this appeal. The Trust has a target to raise £15,000, so please donate today by visiting www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk or calling (01872) 273 939.

Photographs: 1. Bottlenose dolphin off Cornwall, Adrian Langdon Caption: Donate to the dolphin pinger appeal to help save Cornwall’s dolphins. Bottlenose dolphin off the coast of Cornwall. Credit: Adrian Langdon.

2. Bottlenose dolphin with net mark, Colin Speedie Caption: Donate to the dolphin pinger appeal to help save Cornwall’s dolphins. The one that got away! Bottlenose dolphin with clear net mark around its head. Credit: Colin Speedie/Shark Foundation 3. Harbour porpoise in gillnet, Environment Agency Caption: Donate to the dolphin pinger appeal to help save Cornwall’s dolphins. Harbour porpoise found entangled in a gillnet. Credit: Environment Agency