Wildlife crime at worrying levels while convictions at an all-time low warn conservationists - as new data reveals national marine mammal disturbance problem - Wildlife & Countryside Link
- Wildlife crime reporting figures remain persistently high, while fisheries crime prosecutions plummet and only tiny numbers of convictions made in other areas
- Data newly available for marine mammal disturbances in Devon, Kent and Yorkshire, builds on evidence of worrying levels of disturbance from Cornwall
- 1,290 reports of disturbance of mammals including seals, with such incidents posing a huge risk of harm to animals. The figures are likely to be just the tip of the iceberg, due to reliance on local volunteer group data
Wildlife and Countryside Link's new Wildlife Crime Report has found that reports of wildlife crime levels have remained stubbornly high since a surge during the Covid-19 pandemic, with 4,735 incidents reported in 2023. There were increased instances of persecution, harm or death being reported for badgers, bats and marine mammals in 2023. Yet convictions for wildlife crime remain shockingly few, with numbers at an all-time low when looking at all types of wildlife crime the report collects data on.
One of the stand-out findings in the report is that expanded data collection on marine mammal disturbance has revealed a stark picture of disturbances of beloved marine wildlife across the country. Data collected by local wildlife groups in Cornwall, Devon, Kent and Yorkshire is building a clearer picture on the extent of seals, whales and dolphins being disturbed by humans – which risks severe to these marine mammals. 1,290 reports of disturbances were collected during 2023, impacting thousands of animals.
Marine mammal disturbance has increased in recent years in some part due to a rise in the number of people participating in outdoor activities on or near the coast including walking, paddleboarding, kayaking and jet skiing, as well as wildlife tours and wild swimming. Marine experts are working to educate the public on how to enjoy our beaches and oceans without putting the welfare of marine wildlife at risk.