Good news for our fight to stop dolphin deaths in nets

WDC’s continuing fight to prevent the huge numbers of whales, dolphins and porpoises dying in fishing nets each year has received a welcome boost following intervention by the EU minister for environment, oceans and fisheries.

Minister Virginijus Sinkevičius has sent letters to fisheries and environment ministers of 22 EU nations highlighting his concerns about the number of dolphins being killed in nets (bycatch) around the Bay of Biscay.

The minister has urged countries to take action and stated that EU legislation must be upheld and enforced.

WDC has been working behind the scenes and pushing for action on this issue for some time, including the submission of a formal complaint calling  for the EU Commission to take legal action against 15 governments over these deaths. We have also been gathering evidence and released a report on the issue in 2017, meeting with representatives from the body responsible for the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy (DG MARE), and those responsible for implementation of the Habitats Directive – the regulations set up to protect a wide range of rare, threatened or other  species found in the European Union region.

Help us keep up the pressure to ensure strong laws to End Bycatch.