Skip to content
All news
  • All news
  • About whales & dolphins
  • Corporates
  • Create healthy seas
  • End captivity
  • Green Whale
  • Prevent deaths in nets
  • Scottish Dolphin Centre
  • Stop whaling
  • Stranding
  • Whale watching

New government marine wildlife code to help reduce dolphin disturbance

The launch today by UK Government of new guidance on how to act responsibly around...

UK government to extend ivory ban to stop the sale of orca teeth

Following the UK ban on the import, export and dealing of elephant ivory in 2022,...

Dead whale beauty products to be sold in Japanese vending machine stores

Antarctic minke whale alongside Japanese whaling ship. Photo © Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert Japanese whale hunting company,...

Arrests made following illegal whale meat smuggling from Japan to South Korea

Customs authorities in Busan, South Korea, have arrested six people for allegedly smuggling at least...

Study raises concern about methods used to stop dolphins being caught in nets

A dolphin trapped in a fishing net

Dolphins and porpoises continue to die in huge numbers in fishing gear but even some measures introduced to try to stop this problem have serious implications for the welfare of these creatures.

A new study published by Science Direct, that includes WDC expert input, is the first to review the welfare impacts of escape hatches in trawl fishing gear; and Acoustic Deterrent Devices (ADDs, or pingers).

The escape hatches are designed to prevent dolphins entering the narrower (cod-end) portion of the net. Acoustic Deterrent Devices, or ‘pingers’, emit intermittent sounds that alerts whales, dolphins and porpoises to the presence of fishing gear.

But the study has found that despite measures like escape hatches in nets and the use of pingers being effective in reducing the numbers caught under some circumstances, these measures still cause many to suffer injury and have negative welfare impacts.

We need governments to include these welfare issues when they look at fisheries planning. This includes area closures or ‘move on’ requirements (fish in a different place when dolphins are encountered), alternative fishing gears such as hooks and lines, or modifications to fishing gear, such as sinking ground lines (ropes that are weighted so they sit on the seabed, instead of looping up into the water column) to prevent entanglements.

Retailers and consumers have a voice too, as proved to great effect when it comes to improving welfare for of farm animals, and public concern could help to reduce the  suffering of dolphins, porpoises and whales in fishing gear too.

PLEASE MAKE A DONATION AND HELP US PREVENT DEATHS IN NETS

Related News

Dolphins captured for captivity in Taiji. Image: Hans Peter Roth

Loved and killed – whales and dolphins in Japan

Protests and criticism from outside Japan in response to the slaughter of whales and dolphins have not only failed to stop the killing, but also...
Narwhal with beluga whales

Unusual Whale Adoptions

Kidzone - quick links Fun Facts Curious kids Blogs Fantastic fundraisers Gallery Splish and Splash Puzzles Whales and dolphins are truly special. A good example...
Irrawaddy dolphin

Helping fishers protect dolphins in Sarawak, Borneo

Fishing nets are bad news for dolphins and porpoises, so we're working with local fishers in Hong Kong and Sarawak, Borneo to save lives and...

New government marine wildlife code to help reduce dolphin disturbance

The launch today by UK Government of new guidance on how to act responsibly around wildlife when you visit the coast will help to raise...

Leave a Comment