Pair Trawlers Kill Channel Bass

TWO dolphins, believed to be victims of controversial bass pair fishing trawlers, have been washed up on Westcountry beaches, with puncture marks thought to have been made after they died.

The Dolphins, which were found earlier this week, are believed to be the first in two years to have been found with puncture marks.

Experts said the marks were probably caused after the Dolphins died, to either make them sink or decompose quicker.

Lindy Hingley, from Brixham Seawatch, said the latest cases where the Dolphins were punctured was "outrageous".

Every year, hundreds of dead cetaceans are washed up on shores around Devon and Cornwall. Campaigners fear they have been caught in the huge nets trawled between two vessels in a method of fishing mostly used by French and Scottish boats, known as bass pair trawling.

The fisheries minister, Ben Bradshaw, introduced a ban on pair trawling within the 12 mile limit by British vessels, but he failed to persuade the European Commission to introduce an EU ban on this fishing method.

Campaigners feel the UK ban will make little difference with Dolphins still being washed up on beaches in the region.

In the latest incidents, the first Dolphin, which was washed up just to the west of Dartmouth, at Strete Gate, Slapton Sands, South Devon, on Monday, was so badly composed that its sex could not be determined. But it was identified as a seven foot long common Dolphin.

"It had been punctured and it was not damaged underneath so it was very difficult to ascertain what sex it was," Ms Hingley said. "It had a broken beak which had been completely snapped off. It was not that old and it wouldn't have decomposed as quickly had it not been punctured. But it was badly decomposed."

A second Dolphin was washed up on nearby Thurlestone Sands early on Thursday.

It was identified as a seven-foot long female common Dolphin. It also had a puncture wound.

"It had a very similar mark and damage and they could have quite easily both been caught at the same time," she said.

"Whoever has punctured them is doing it with a very sharp implement and doing it through the chest cavity in exactly the same position each time.

"I think that they believe that think that they sink if they are punctured and obviously we won't find them.

"But I think they also do it to make them rot more quickly so they can't go through a post-mortem as easily because it is difficult to deal with Dolphins that are quite badly decomposed."

She said these Dolphins were the first with puncture wounds that she had seen for several years. At one time dolphins were washed up with puncture wounds quite frequently and in some cases they were actually cut into pieces, but these were the first of the new bass fishing season that had been punctured.

"I'm very dismayed about this. We're trying so hard to get our own government to really make this a priority at European level, and I feel so saddened that we are still dealing with these beautiful creatures dying in these ways and washing up on our beaches.

"But to find them punctured in this way. They are very big animals and you have got to go through a great deal of fat and skin to get into a dolphin.

"It's appalling to find them in this way when they have obviously been damaged, presumably after death. It's outrageous and horrendous to mutilate their bodies ion this way.

"I would hope that those fishermen feel sorry about this and want to help us.

"But I suspect by the fact that they are punctured in this way, that they just don't care and have no conscience."

Yesterday a senior DEFRA advisor indicated that the Government would press for some restrictions on the winter Bass fishery at next week's EU Fisheries Council meeting.

Lindsay Harris, deputy head of fisheries, said the Government would try to persuade the Commission to limit the number of trawlers taking part. But the issue of Dolphin deaths will not be on the agenda directly and any changes were likely to be relatively minor

Fax 0207 270 8302