25 Years ASCOBANS: Disentangling the Bycatch Problem
Bycaught harbour porpoise © Lena Hohls / GSM A recent report on the health of the ocean found that worldwide the marine vertebrate population declined by 49 per cent between 1970 and 2012 (see WWF/ZSL Living Blue Planet Report 2015). Globally, an estimated 300,000 small whales, dolphins and porpoises die each year from entanglement in fishing gear. Also in Europe, incidental catch is seen as the greatest threat to small cetaceans. However, the situation is much more complex than one might think.