Our Dying Seas?
Protecting Wildlife for the Future
Our Dying Seas?
Introduction This report highlights the serious threats that are affecting the seas around us, and the lack of any coherent planning or legislation to tackle these threats.
Joan Edwards
Most of us think of the sea as a provider of healthy, natural food and as a home to beautiful wild creatures like dolphins. And yet: ●
cod, our most popular fish, is now commercially extinct in the North Sea,
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in the first months of 2002, 500 dead whales, dolphins and porpoises have washed up on the coasts of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset, mainly the victims of net entanglement,
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some of our most protected sites such as Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland are still being damaged.
Cuckoo wrasse
“High concentrations of the pesticides have been measured in dolphin blubber for the central North Sea.” Quality Status Report 2000
Turtle background photograph: Mike Daines
The Wildlife Trusts have produced Our Dying Seas? to highlight the scale of the problem; to explain what action The Wildlife Trusts have undertaken to try and improve matters in specific areas; and to make concrete proposals of further action that needs to be taken to improve matters. Together with our recent publication ‘Marine Stewardship - The Challenge’, The Wildlife Trusts will set out the case for a completely new approach to the management of our marine environment, which will be both integrated and sustainable. As this document demonstrates, the current system is not working - action must be taken now.
Safeguarding our seas The oceans of the world seem so limitless that it would appear to be impossible for humans to inflict such major damage that whole marine ecosystems are in peril. Yet that is exactly what is happening, not least in the shallow, productive seas that surround the UK.
Standing up for Marine Wildlife
Every level of marine life is under threat, from the charismatic bottlenose dolphin, harbour porpoise and basking shark, to the critically endangered leatherback turtle. Unique and precious sites on the seabed are also in danger, where some of our most attractive and
Our Dying Seas? diverse marine communities exist such as the sunset coral and the pink seafan. Even popular staples of our fish and chip culture are disappearing, with cod now following mackerel into commercial extinction in the North Sea. Yet commercial fishing for species like the sandeel continues, the crucial foundation of the food chain that feeds a wide diversity of marine life from commercial species to seabirds and dolphins. The continuation of this practice could prevent the chance of any species recovery. The protection of marine sites is also inadequate, with some of our most ‘protected sites’ being damaged, Therefore, we must ensure that practical mechanisms are put in place to ensure the adequate protection of Marine Nature Reserves or Coastal Special Areas of Conservation. And at the shore, where the sea meets the land, the loss of habitat such as salt marsh continues unabated, due to the insatiable demand for land for development. This is before we even consider the potential losses that are predicted as a result of global warming, which will place further pressure on wildlife that rely on these beleaguered intertidal zones.
The enormity of these problems demand immediate action and commitment from national and local Government to ensure effective protection of the marine environment. It is time to give life back to our seas before it is too late.
Bycatch - the death toll mounts The horrific sight of dead whales and dolphins stranded on the shores of south west England is not new, but in recent years the numbers have dramatically increased. This year a record number of 500 animals were stranded in the west of England in the first few months alone. Post mortems of many dolphins indicated drowning or injury in nets as the main cause of death. One major fishery has been clearly implicated, the modern practice of pair trawling for bass in the western English Channel. In a recent study, DEFRA observers recorded 53 common dolphins caught in 12 net hauls aboard a pair of trawlers fishing for bass. Wildlife Trust volunteers have been active in recovering stranded dolphins, and The Wildlife Trusts are campaigning for the banning of such fishing practices. The EU and the UK are legally obliged to take action if bycatch is estimated to exceed 1.7 per cent of the local population, a situation that almost certainly exists already.
Dolphin Devon Wildlife Trust
Standing up for Marine Wildlife
Nick Tregenza
Our Dying Seas?
Common dolphin killed as a result of bycatch
Drowning porpoises
Unseen killers
Research carried out by Cornwall Wildlife Trust volunteers aboard fishing vessels helped to establish the extent of the bycatch of our smallest cetacean, the harbour porpoise in the deep-water gill net fishery for hake. This method uses thin mesh nets which float just above the sea bed. At an estimated 6.2 per cent annual mortality, this is greater than any regional cetacean population can withstand. Since then The Wildlife Trusts have been involved in work to reduce these deaths, through trialing acoustic porpoise deterrents known as ‘Pingers’. These devices can be attached to nets to help the animals detect them. The Trusts have also supported the development of an automated porpoise detection device (POD) that can be attached to nets to establish whether ‘Pingers’ are effective. Since the first results of this study were released in 1992, the UK Government and European Union have consistently agreed at international and EU levels to take action to reduce bycatch - even as recently as the North Sea Conference in March 2002. But no genuine action has been seen, and the death toll continues unabated.
In recent years inshore fishermen have increasingly turned to using monofilament gill nets, which are cheap and simple to set from small boats. This may have created a direct conflict with protected and valued species such as the bottlenose dolphin that live mainly in inshore waters. Volunteers from The Wildlife Trusts’ Seaquest Project have kept records of the numbers and distribution of bottlenose dolphins in Cornwall that indicate a serious decline over the last 10 years. This could be due to bycatch, albeit at a low level. A recent study estimated that there may be as few as 350 bottlenose dolphins resident in UK waters. Many remaining bottlenose dolphins have been individually identified by Wildlife Trusts volunteers, using photographs of the marks and scars on their dorsal fins. Some, such as ‘Benty’, a popular individual with a distinctive bent dorsal fin seen in Cornwall since 1991, have become local celebrities. Given the precarious state of the population, their internationally protected status and their emotional appeal to local communities and the country at large, we should be moving heaven and earth to safeguard the surviving animals. Active research is needed to evaluate the threat that this type of net poses to bottlenose dolphins.
Stranded porpoise Colin Speedie
Standing up for Marine Wildlife
Our Dying Seas? Average number of bottlenose dolphins in groups seen in the south west by Wildlife Trust volunteers
Seafan Bernard Picton
18.0 16.0 14.0 12.0 10.0 8.0 Sunset coral
6.0 Nick Tregenza 2001
Joan Edwards
4.0 2.0 0.0 1992
1993
1994 1995 1996
1997
1998 1999
Smashing our undersea gardens Until relatively recently, reef areas on the seabed provided a haven for fish from mobile fishing gear, as the trawls would become entangled or damaged on the reefs. Now, with the development of spring loaded trawls known as ‘rockhopper’ trawls, nowhere is safe. Many reef areas provide a unique habitat for rare species such as the pink seafan and the sunset coral, which can be severely damaged by trawling. In a ground-breaking venture, Devon Wildlife Trust brokered a voluntary agreement with fishermen to ban scallop dredging in
2000
a five square mile reef area in Lyme Bay, thus protecting the habitat from destruction. This is the good news - but other reefs continue to be destroyed or degraded through indiscriminate trawling. The Wildlife Trusts believe that fishermen should be encouraged to cooperate in protecting each other’s fishing grounds. Also, consumer power should be harnessed to promote fish that have been caught in a sustainable manner.
Scallops caught in dredger nets Devon Wildlife Trust
Joan Edwards
1991
Devastated seabed
Standing up for Marine Wildlife
Our Dying Seas? Pushed to the edge
“A survey of fish in UK estuaries revealed distinct oestrogenic effects.� Quality Status Report 2000
The basking shark is now protected from hunting within the UK 12 mile limit, following pressure from The Wildlife Trusts and other marine conservation organisations. A three-year research programme in Devon and Cornwall funded by The Wildlife Trusts has identified two sites of key importance where sharks are regularly sighted, and which may be of vital importance for
breeding sharks. Threats still exist for the shark in these areas, such as ship strike, accidental entanglement and human disturbance. Basking sharks, accidentally bycaught in nets in the past were landed and sold, but as it is now illegal to land them, they are dumped at sea. This makes it difficult to quantify the level of bycatch, but stranded sharks with injuries consistent with net entanglement still appear on beaches in areas where high levels of gill netting takes place. The Wildlife Trusts therefore believe that further statutory protection, such as Special Area of Conservation (SAC) status, may be necessary within key sites, to raise awareness of and safeguard this threatened species.
Basking shark Bernard Picton Basking shark washed up on beach and basking shark fin: Colin Speedie
Standing up for Marine Wildlife
Our Dying Seas?
Strangford Lough has been described as the ‘jewel in the crown’ of conservation areas in Northern Ireland, and enjoys virtually every available conservation designation, including Marine Nature Reserve, Special Protection Area and Special Area of Conservation status. The Northern Ireland Government has sought to manage the Lough by consensus. However, the once vast horse mussel colonies on the seabed that formed a vital habitat for a wide diversity of species, have been almost irreparably damaged by commercial dredging for queen scallops, and the remaining colonies severely affected. The Ulster Wildlife Trust has been a leading player in the efforts to defend all of Strangford’s biodiversity, and is now demanding an up to date survey of the entire ecosystem, which would focus on where and how management should be applied in future to safeguard these vital seabed communities.
Turtles in trouble It was only very recently that the leatherback turtle was recognised as part of Britain’s native fauna - prior to that it was considered an ocean vagrant that simply drifted off course into our waters. A major event that caused this change of perspective was the stranding of 13 dead leatherbacks in Carmarthen Bay.
1982
2002 Disappearance of horse mussel colonies due to commercial dredging
Most of the animals displayed signs of injuries consistent with being entangled in ropes. The Wildlife Trusts commissioned a report into the likely cause of this bycatch, and established that an unregulated and poorly managed whelk fishery had recently been established in the area. The over-long ropes and abandoned gear from this fishery posed a threat to these highly endangered ocean migrants. This was a tragic example of how lack of awareness of the presence of marine life can cost lives. The Wildlife Trusts participate in Sea Fisheries Committees in a number of key areas around the UK, to offer advice on conservation matters such as this, and to establish dialogue with the fishing community.
Ulster Wildlife Trust
Horse mussels - a vital community
Leatherback turtle Mike Daines
Standing up for Marine Wildlife
Our Dying Seas?
Essex skipper on sea lavender
Abbotts Hall Farm at high water showing sea lavender, inset farm and arable land All above photographs: Chris Gomershall, WWF
The coastal zone - no defence One hundred hectares of salt marsh are lost in south and east England every year to coastal development and erosion. With rising sea levels, this process can only accelerate. We are destroying a vital habitat for masses of internationally important wildlife, particularly migrating fish and birds, and losing one of our most biologically productive ecosystems. History shows that managed retreat from sea level rise has always been practiced, and only recently have we tried to hold back the tides. The Wildlife Trusts have
Standing up for Marine Wildlife
Sea purslane
put their money where their mouth is by jointly purchasing Abbots Hall Farm in Essex, where the sea defences will be breached, allowing the creation of more than 80 hectares of valuable new salt marsh and mudflat, and allowing substantial lessons to be learned about coastal defence. The Wildlife Trusts believe that managed retreat which allows the creation of vital new wetland areas is the logical and cost effective answer to sea level rise and loss of habitat.
Our Dying Seas? Polluting fish? Scottish Highlands and Islands salmon farming has grown dramatically over the last 15 years, and reached 125,000 metric tonnes of production in 2000. The fish produce considerable amounts of polluting nutrients which can present a serious risk in such pristine waters. In 2000 they amounted to some 7,500 tonnes of nitrogen, equivalent to the sewage inputs from 3.2 million people; and 1,240 tonnes of phosphorous comparable to that from 9.4 million people. In 1997 Scotland’s population was 5.1 million people. Nutrients stimulate plant growth, which may affect seaweed forests and eelgrass
beds, but they also cause toxic blooms which can have damaging environmental impacts. In recent years toxic blooms within the area have multiplied dramatically, both in their frequency and extent. It is established that toxic blooms can be lethal to birds and sea mammals, for which Scotland has major international responsibilities. The Scottish Wildlife Trust believes that aquaculture in its current form is unsustainable, and is not the best practical environmental option for Scottish salmon. Greater emphasis should be placed on identifying what prevents the recovery of wild stocks, and taking practical steps to effect that recovery.
“Increasing numbers of man-made compounds are being detected in the North Sea for which ecological effects are largely unknown.”
David Erwin
Quality Status Report 2000
Fish farm
Standing up for Marine Wildlife
Our Dying Seas? marine policy to safeguard the future of the UK’s marine environment,
The work of The Wildlife Trusts
Anenome The Wildlife Trusts
“86 000 - 210 000 tonnes of oil per year enters the North Sea.” Quality Status Report 2000
Central to the marine conservation work of The Wildlife Trusts is a vision of healthy marine habitats supporting a natural diversity of species. However, we also recognise the social and economic value placed on marine resources and our vision includes the sustainable management of these resources, believing that balancing the needs of wildlife and people is essential for the future of both.
Working towards a better future The Wildlife Trusts The Wildlife Trusts campaign to bring about changes that will benefit our marine environment and the biodiversity it supports. By working with decision makers, industry and regulators, we can raise our concerns about the need for the sustainable management of the marine environment to benefit people and marine wildlife. The Wildlife Trusts initiate and contribute to scientific research in order to develop a broader understanding of the UK’s marine environment and the ecology of important and threatened species. They help to develop best practice and solutions to conflict with nature conservation. To achieve our targets, we will: ●
campaign for better legislation and
Standing up for Marine Wildlife
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promote public awareness and understanding of our marine environment,
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initiate and contribute to scientific research on marine wildlife,
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identify threats to the conservation of our marine and coastal ecosystems,
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secure additional resources,
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monitor progress of our work.
Summary This report provides further evidence of damage to our marine environment. It adds to the increasing amount of evidence that has been collated and described in the OSPAR 2000 Quality Status Report which highlights the damage that has already occurred, and suggests that we must be concerned about the pollution from hazardous substances, climate change, eutrophication and the direct and indirect effects of fisheries. In March 2002, the Declaration of the Fifth International Conference on the Protection of the North Sea committed fully ‘towards the protection, conservation and, when practical,restoration of areas of the North Sea environment which have been adversely affected’.
Our Dying Seas?
The Wildlife Trusts’
Marine Challenge Britain’s seas are dying because of unsustainable management. The Wildlife Trusts believe that a radically different approach to managing our marine environment is urgently required. This approach is founded on the principles of managing a whole ecosystem, sustainable development, and the precautionary principle. This is the challenge of marine stewardship. Integrated marine stewardship requires a radical overhaul of the present fragmented, confusing and over-lapping institutional and legislative framework. The Wildlife Trusts are, therefore, calling on the Government to set up a marine taskforce to develop this new approach to managing the seas through a detailed marine plan. A prerequisite for integrated marine stewardship is a new institutional framework and new legislation to ensure that such stewardship is possible. The plan should also detail a toolkit of devices that lead to a healthy marine environment. The Wildlife Trusts’ five key challenges are:
1 A clear policy statement - a White Paper - setting out the marine stewardship approach. 2 A Marine Act(s) that sets out the legislative and institutional framework required. 3 Reform of current institutional arrangements to bring the management of marine resources under one Ministry and/or agency. 4 The development of a toolkit of approaches to deliver integrated marine stewardship.
Seal pup Jill Pakenham, Avico Ltd
5 A monitoring framework and review process to assess marine recovery and clear review processes in place.
Standing up for Marine Wildlife
“The majority of fish stocks in the North Sea are heavily overfished. Many species including cod, haddock and plaice are outside safe biological limits.” Quality Status Report 2000
For more information, contact the Marine Policy Team at the address below or visit our website at www.wildlifetrusts.org Written by Colin Speedie and Joan Edwards, Lisa Browning, Pippa Morrison The Wildlife Trusts are a nationwide network of local wildlife charities working together to create a better future for wildlife and people. Together The Wildlife Trusts manage more than 75,000 hectares of land, and have more than 382,000 members.
The Wildlife Trusts The Kiln, Waterside, Mather Road, Newark NG24 1WT Tel: 01636 677711 Fax 01636 670001 Email: info@wildlife-trusts.cix.co.uk www.wildlifetrusts.org The Wildlife Trusts reg.charity no 207238 © June 2002 Front cover photograph: Nick Roberts
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