Cetacean Stranding Essay
1. Introduction
Cetacean stranding’s in the United Kingdom are unfortunately a common sight. In 1990, the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) started running (1), since their programme began they have collected data from 12,000 stranded cetaceans (2). Post mortem examinations are often carried out; these are vital in understanding the cause of death. However, if the carcass decomposition rate is advanced, a post mortem is not essential (3). Through our actions we have caused cetaceans to be at severe threat, these include: by-catches, habitat destruction, chemical pollution, disease and many other factors (4). Conservation efforts are essential in ensuring that the harm caused does not drive them to extinction.
2. Threat …show more content…
Gillnets catch the highest number of harbour porpoises, posing a serious threat (14). Tangle net fisheries are also a large problem, porpoises feed on or near the seabed therefore in doing so get caught (15). There have been many reports of harbour porpoises being bycaught within the North Sea and Celtic Sea, the nets are a serious welfare concern (15). The cetacean stranding monitoring project for the UK has seen an increase from 50-200 during the 1990s, to 350-400 between 2002 and 2006 (16). From 2005 to 2008, 1 in every 100 observed hauls had a porpoise catch, this means 400-850 cetaceans are caught each year in the Irish Sea and Celtic Sea (17). When you look at the history for marine conservation, we have been lacking on many occasions (8). Man causes the biggest impact to marine food-stocks, higher than any other animal (8). If we are to continue to extract resources from the sea, we need to look at the consequences caused to marine life. Annually, 360,000 cetaceans are killed each year by fishing gear, whether that be the fish net itself or propellers (8). The demand for fish, means that there is a reduction in the number available to cetaceans within the ocean due to mass fishing. There is no evidence though, to say that this has led to
Cetacean stranding’s in the United Kingdom are unfortunately a common sight. In 1990, the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme (CSIP) started running (1), since their programme began they have collected data from 12,000 stranded cetaceans (2). Post mortem examinations are often carried out; these are vital in understanding the cause of death. However, if the carcass decomposition rate is advanced, a post mortem is not essential (3). Through our actions we have caused cetaceans to be at severe threat, these include: by-catches, habitat destruction, chemical pollution, disease and many other factors (4). Conservation efforts are essential in ensuring that the harm caused does not drive them to extinction.
2. Threat …show more content…
Gillnets catch the highest number of harbour porpoises, posing a serious threat (14). Tangle net fisheries are also a large problem, porpoises feed on or near the seabed therefore in doing so get caught (15). There have been many reports of harbour porpoises being bycaught within the North Sea and Celtic Sea, the nets are a serious welfare concern (15). The cetacean stranding monitoring project for the UK has seen an increase from 50-200 during the 1990s, to 350-400 between 2002 and 2006 (16). From 2005 to 2008, 1 in every 100 observed hauls had a porpoise catch, this means 400-850 cetaceans are caught each year in the Irish Sea and Celtic Sea (17). When you look at the history for marine conservation, we have been lacking on many occasions (8). Man causes the biggest impact to marine food-stocks, higher than any other animal (8). If we are to continue to extract resources from the sea, we need to look at the consequences caused to marine life. Annually, 360,000 cetaceans are killed each year by fishing gear, whether that be the fish net itself or propellers (8). The demand for fish, means that there is a reduction in the number available to cetaceans within the ocean due to mass fishing. There is no evidence though, to say that this has led to