A ground-breaking new study in Scotland investigating the nature and extent of whale entanglements in fishing gear has identified ways to prevent them and the harm they cause, in the future.
Whales and other marine animals can become entangled in fishing equipment, including the ropes linking creels (also known as pots), which are set around Scotland’s coasts to catch prawns, crabs and lobsters. If whales become entangled they often cannot escape, which can lead to injury and even death. Entanglement is known to be the largest identified cause of death due to human activity for minke and humpback whales in Scottish waters. However, the extent of the issue was not previously well understood.
The findings have been published in the Journal Endangered Species Research. The study estimated that in Scottish waters approximately six humpback whales and 30 minke whales become entangled in creel fishing ropes each year. The collaborative project behind the study also identified possible ways to address the problem.
WDC has been working with the Scottish Entanglement Alliance (SEA), which brings together government, academia, NGOs and the fishing industry. During the project, commercial creel fishermen from all around the Scottish coast were interviewed and their valuable contribution allowed the researchers to better understand the nature and extent of entanglements in Scotland’s waters. This work is an excellent example of successful collaboration between fishers, NGOs, and academia to understand the entanglements in Scottish waters.
Read the research paper here
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Posted On: 06/01/2023