Huge increase in marine strandings in Cornwall.

19/08/2006 00:00:00 February 2007. Recently six dead common dolphins have been reported to Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Marine Strandings Network in one week. They are the only voluntary organisation in Cornwall that records, photographs and measures dead dolphins and porpoises that have stranded on our beaches. This is vitally important voluntary work that provides evidence of the threats to these animals and also maintains the pressure to bring about legislation to ensure better protection. They desperately need your help and support to ensure the continuation of this important work. Seeing dolphins at play is a fantastic sight, one not easily forgotten. Sadly, for many of us, our first encounter with these majestic animals is when we find a dead, mutilated dolphin on the beach rather than seeing them in their full glory swimming in the ocean.

In Cornwall, this heart-wrenching scene has haunted us for years; beaches littered with dead bodies of harbour porpoises and dolphins that have died unnatural and untimely deaths. At the end of 2005, the Government was celebrating the fact that the number of dolphin deaths that year was lower than for the previous four years, and they partly attributed this to the introduction of a ban on bass pair trawl fishing within 12 miles of the UK. However, during 2006, 175 cetaceans were recorded dead on the beaches by the Trust’s Marine Strandings Network: a startling 70% increase on the previous year. Joana Doyle, Marine Conservation Officer for the Trust said, ‘This problem has NOT gone away and is as important as ever. Through the pioneering work of the volunteers we have discovered that as well as pair trawling, other fisheries; gill/tangle nets are also responsible for accidental bycatch of dolphins and harbour porpoises off Cornwall.’

The Trust’s Marine Strandings Network is working to try to prevent these deaths. The trained volunteers photograph and record in detail all stranded marine animals in Cornwall, including any external injuries that may indicate how the animal died. This information is then used locally, nationally and internationally to lobby Government departments responsible for the marine environment to take action to protect these animals. Joana continued, ‘Our Marine Strandings Network volunteers are at the forefront of scientific research into the deaths of marine animals and it is thanks to their efforts that we are starting to piece together information about why dead dolphins are washing up on Cornish beaches. Without their tireless efforts vital evidence would not be collected and the battle to protect these animals could be lost.’

Caroline Curtis is one of the 100 volunteers of the Trust’s Marine Strandings Network. She records and photographs the bodies and comments, ‘Like so many other people, I’ve had a life-long love of dolphins and I became a strandings volunteer for Cornwall Wildlife Trust because I desperately wanted to do something to help. In that time, I’ve seen many, many dead dolphins. Each one is a tragedy that makes me sad and angry. Some are crushed to death in nets full of fish or, being air-breathing mammals like you and me, suffocate as they cannot come to the surface to breathe.

Many have broken jaws where they were trapped in fishing trawls. Often their heads, tails or fins have been cut off or their stomachs have been slit open. It’s a real shock to imagine these once graceful and playful creatures are suffering in this horrendous way. We simply cannot justify treating them as a waste product of our appetite for fish. We can not and must not let it go on.’

We are asking people to spare a thought and do something positive for the marine animals that we all know and love by making a donation to our marine appeal today. You can either send a cheque payable to Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Five Acres, Allet, Truro, TR4 9DJ; call 01872 273939 or donate online at www.cornwawildlifetrust.org.

If you find a dead marine animal, please call our 24 hour Marine Strandings Hotline immediately on 0845 201 2626.

To find out more about the work of the Trust’s Marine Strandings Network visit www.cwtstrandings.org