EUROPEAN CETACEAN BYCATCH CAMPAIGN
"Man is but a strand in the complex web of life"
"Man is but a strand in the complex web of life"
In her Introductory Statement on Climate Change, Commissioner Wallstrom stated
“When the Climate Convention was adopted in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 the European
Union showed world leadership. We did so again in 1997 when the Kyoto Protocol was agreed. It is my ambition for the EU to continue this leadership when it comes to combat Climate change”.
Unfortunately, the EU has not shown world leadership in relation to cetacean bycatch mitigation measures.
Efforts to address bycatch problems in other countries, e.g.. USA and New Zealand, are
underpinned by targeted legislation and a legal framework of wide-ranging duties and powers, including the power of enforcement.
In the USA, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (Amended 1994), the immediate goal was that the incidental mortality or serious injury of marine mammals in commercial fishing
operations, should be reduced to insignificant levels approaching zero by 30 April 2001.
An assessment of marine mammal stocks was made; a marine mammal mortality monitoring programme for commercial fisheries was established, whereby, observers monitored the degree of bycatch; Take Reduction Teams, which developed strategies to reduce cetacean bycatch were established, and these teams formulated Take Reduction Plans, which were discussed with scientists, environmentalists, animal welfare groups, fishery managers and fishermen. The plans were then put into action.
In 1994, it was estimated that 2100 harbour porpoises were killed in the Gulf of Maine gill net fisheries each year.
In January 1999, a TRP was put into effect. The deaths of harbour porpoises were reduced to 270.
In the Mid-Atlantic gill net fishery, it was estimated that an average of 358 harbour porpoises were killed in nets each year (1995 - 1998). After the introduction of a TRP in 1999, the estimated bycatch for that year was 49 harbour porpoises.
Take Reduction Plans, incorporate measures such as, observer monitoring, area closures, reduction in the size of the fishery, pingers on nets and modification to fishing gear and practice. Enforcement measures and penalties, that are sufficiently costly, are used to ensure that fishermen comply with regulations designed to reduce cetacean bycatch.
In the autumn of this year a new type of gill net is being trialled in the USA. It is called an" acoustically reflective gill net". Trials of this net took place in the Bay of Fundy, Canada, in 1998 and 2000. The results were so promising that the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission, endorsed further experimentation with these nets and the Gulf of Maine Take Reduction Team recommended that a large scale trial be conducted this year.
“When the Climate Convention was adopted in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 the European
Union showed world leadership. We did so again in 1997 when the Kyoto Protocol was agreed. It is my ambition for the EU to continue this leadership when it comes to combat Climate change”.
Unfortunately, the EU has not shown world leadership in relation to cetacean bycatch mitigation measures.
Efforts to address bycatch problems in other countries, e.g.. USA and New Zealand, are
underpinned by targeted legislation and a legal framework of wide-
In the USA, under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (Amended 1994), the immediate goal was that the incidental mortality or serious injury of marine mammals in commercial fishing
operations, should be reduced to insignificant levels approaching zero by 30 April 2001.
An assessment of marine mammal stocks was made; a marine mammal mortality monitoring programme for commercial fisheries was established, whereby, observers monitored the degree of bycatch; Take Reduction Teams, which developed strategies to reduce cetacean bycatch were established, and these teams formulated Take Reduction Plans, which were discussed with scientists, environmentalists, animal welfare groups, fishery managers and fishermen. The plans were then put into action.
In 1994, it was estimated that 2100 harbour porpoises were killed in the Gulf of Maine gill net fisheries each year.
In January 1999, a TRP was put into effect. The deaths of harbour porpoises were reduced to 270.
In the Mid-
Take Reduction Plans, incorporate measures such as, observer monitoring, area closures, reduction in the size of the fishery, pingers on nets and modification to fishing gear and practice. Enforcement measures and penalties, that are sufficiently costly, are used to ensure that fishermen comply with regulations designed to reduce cetacean bycatch.
In the autumn of this year a new type of gill net is being trialled in the USA. It is called an" acoustically reflective gill net". Trials of this net took place in the Bay of Fundy, Canada, in 1998 and 2000. The results were so promising that the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission, endorsed further experimentation with these nets and the Gulf of Maine Take Reduction Team recommended that a large scale trial be conducted this year.
In contrast, very little is being done by the Member States of the European Community to reduce the level of cetacean bycatch.
Dr. Peter Reijnders, the former Chair of ASCOBANS, stated "The United States is in some ways ahead of Europe on the conservation of small cetaceans. Different types of fisheries have been ranked according to the risk or threat to dolphins and porpoises and appropriate action has been taken….. However, enforcement will be crucial to the
success of reducing cetacean by-catch. We also need independent observers on
fishing vessels to monitor levels of by-catch and to verify that technologies
and measures brought in are working",
The European Union could show world leadership in the sphere of cetacean bycatch mitigation measures. There are many experts with sufficient expertise to address the problem, but it requires political will and a common policy, to be enforced throughout the European Union.
success of reducing cetacean by-
fishing vessels to monitor levels of by-
and measures brought in are working",
The European Union could show world leadership in the sphere of cetacean bycatch mitigation measures. There are many experts with sufficient expertise to address the problem, but it requires political will and a common policy, to be enforced throughout the European Union.
The European Common Fisheries Policy must be amended to incorporate a Cetacean Bycatch Response Strategy, which should include:
1) The mandatory placement of independent observers onboard a representative sample of vessels in fisheries with the potential to cause bycatch, in order to identify problem fisheries
2) The establishment of Bycatch Response Teams, responsible for devising programmes of bycatch reduction measures, to meet set targets and time frames, and for monitoring the implementation and effectiveness of these programmes.
3) The restriction or closure of fisheries failing to meet the targets within the given time frame.
4) Enforcement of bycatch reduction measures throughout the EU.
In her Introductory Statement, Commissioner Wallstrom stated
In her Introductory Statement, Commissioner Wallstrom stated
“My plan is to bring all stakeholders around the table, namely technical experts,
business, NGOs and other relevant actors. My idea is to create synergies and to work towards a consensus on practical steps which the Commission should put
forward to Council and Parliament. Such a Programme would then allow for further
action…. Finally, I want to express my full support for the Parliament's view that we have to make it easier for our citizens to play an active part in this work, by supplying them with clear and obtainable information.”
This is the formula that is successfully used in the USA to address the problem of cetacean
bycatch. TRT’s are comprised of stakeholders, who devise practical steps to reduce the levels of bycatch, and then oversee the implementation of the relevant mitigation measures. There are then public consultations.
The Green Paper states that politically, the stakeholders do not feel sufficiently involved in the management of the Common Fisheries Policy.
Every European citizen must be regarded as a stakeholder, and indeed many thousands of
citizens do not feel that their opinions are being heard or listened to.
The European Cetacean Bycatch Campaign was founded March 23, 2000.
Since that time 102 organizations in 16 European countries have joined the campaign, plus many thousands of individuals. All want the levels of cetacean bycatch to be greatly reduced.
Many years ago, when the public was made aware of the devastating effects of drift nets there was public outrage, leading to a ban of certain drift nets.
Indeed drift net fisheries in European waters are supposed to be phased out by 2002.
When the public watched footage of the encirclement of dolphins in the eastern tropical Pacific tuna fishery, the reaction was such that there was a dramatic fall in consumer demand for tuna. The market only recovered when dolphin bycatch mitigation measures were enforced and the “Dolphin- Safe” label was introduced.
In 1972 it was estimated that 423,678 dolphins were killed in the tuna purse seine fishery in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
As a result of the enforcement of bycatch reduction measures, due to consumer pressure, the
preliminary estimate of dolphins killed in this fishery in the year 2000 was 1,636 (estimates
provided by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission).
European consumers are beginning to put pressure on supermarkets to obtain fish that has been caught without causing the deaths of cetaceans.
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business, NGOs and other relevant actors. My idea is to create synergies and to work towards a consensus on practical steps which the Commission should put
forward to Council and Parliament. Such a Programme would then allow for further
action…. Finally, I want to express my full support for the Parliament's view that we have to make it easier for our citizens to play an active part in this work, by supplying them with clear and obtainable information.”
This is the formula that is successfully used in the USA to address the problem of cetacean
bycatch. TRT’s are comprised of stakeholders, who devise practical steps to reduce the levels of bycatch, and then oversee the implementation of the relevant mitigation measures. There are then public consultations.
The Green Paper states that politically, the stakeholders do not feel sufficiently involved in the management of the Common Fisheries Policy.
Every European citizen must be regarded as a stakeholder, and indeed many thousands of
citizens do not feel that their opinions are being heard or listened to.
The European Cetacean Bycatch Campaign was founded March 23, 2000.
Since that time 102 organizations in 16 European countries have joined the campaign, plus many thousands of individuals. All want the levels of cetacean bycatch to be greatly reduced.
Many years ago, when the public was made aware of the devastating effects of drift nets there was public outrage, leading to a ban of certain drift nets.
Indeed drift net fisheries in European waters are supposed to be phased out by 2002.
When the public watched footage of the encirclement of dolphins in the eastern tropical Pacific tuna fishery, the reaction was such that there was a dramatic fall in consumer demand for tuna. The market only recovered when dolphin bycatch mitigation measures were enforced and the “Dolphin-
In 1972 it was estimated that 423,678 dolphins were killed in the tuna purse seine fishery in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
As a result of the enforcement of bycatch reduction measures, due to consumer pressure, the
preliminary estimate of dolphins killed in this fishery in the year 2000 was 1,636 (estimates
provided by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Inter-
European consumers are beginning to put pressure on supermarkets to obtain fish that has been caught without causing the deaths of cetaceans.
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