Following the increasing numbers of dead dolphins found on the South West’s shores, Greenpeace launched a campaign to highlight the issue of pair trawling which they believe is responsible for dolphin deaths. The Ezperanza has been touring the waters off the Cornish coast monitoring fishing vessels and salvaging the bodies of dolphins and porpoises. After a month at sea the campaign ship stopped to refuel at Falmouth. Scillynews sent reporter Leonie McFarlane to find out what goes on aboard.
Ezperanza is Spanish for hope which is something that all the Greenpeace campaigners on the boat have. They hope they are making a difference and they hope they will not find any more bloodied, injured dolphin caucuses floating in the English Channel.
But since I went aboard the Ezperanza the Greenpeace volunteers have found another seven dead dolphins. They believe that it is pair trawling that is to blame. Huge fishing boats move in pairs dragging nets between them big enough to hold twelve jumbo jets. Not surprisingly they catch more than the bargain for.
Greenpeace volunteer Willie MacKenzie told me that bycatch is a problem that effects more species than dolphins. ? In different parts of the world bycatch effects all sorts of animals, dolphins, porpoises, seals, albatrosses.?
It is claimed that every year approximately 1,000 dolphins are washed up on the beaches of Britain and France but it is estimated that this represents only 10 per cent of actually deaths. Fishermen don’t deny that dolphins do get trapped in their nets but they argue that figures are exaggerated. Some of the crew go board pair trawlers to speak to Skippers about the Greenpeace campaign. They were not met with the hostility one might expect, this is nor war on the high seas. Willie Mackenzie said ? The fishermen help us on board, they are very willing to listen to what we’ve got to say?
The crew have also been on twenty four hour watch for pods of dolphins. I was shown the look out point from where volunteers take it in turn to scan the grey horizon for grey dolphins and they assure me that they are not easy creatures to spot. Sarah Duthie Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner said ‘It’s hard to spot dolphins dead or alive in grey choppy seas in winter. Dead dolphins are only visible just 50 metres from our ship. The sad fact is that if we’ve found seven dead dolphins in just a few days then there could be hundreds more out there we never see?
The Ezperanza has seen live dolphins, who come to bow ride and put on a display for the crew on deck. But they have found more dead dolphins than they expected. The caucuses often have damaged beaks, fins and flippers, evidence that Greenpeace believes shows of their struggle to free themselves form the nets. When they are brought aboard the injuries are catalogued and photographed. Measurements such as body temperature are taken and they are then kept in the freezer until they can be handed to the Zoological Society for post-mortem. Willie MacKenzie said: ‘It is often the people you would not expect, the scientists on board, who are most affected by seeing the bodies’
Look out for the Ezperanza patrolling the waters around Scilly until March 7th when they come ashore for good. Greenpeace say they won’t give up putting pressure on the Government. Willie MacKenzie said ‘What we want the government to do is be the champions of Europe, until it gets to Europe only so much can happen, the UK needs to lead the way?