PORPOISE DEATHS
Fears discarded nets are killing much-loved mammals
A MUTILATED porpoise calf was washed up dead at a Conwy beauty spot – sparking fears it was killed by discarded fishing nets.
The young mammal was found covered in blood near the Little Orme, a popular spot for fishermen looking to catch seabass or cod. The death has renewed calls for proper monitoring of fishing in the area.
Steve Hankey, who lives near where the porpoise was found, said: “From the damage it appeared to have been tangled up in fishing nets. Its main fin was damaged.”
Mr Hankey, 65, added: “It was a very sad sight to see yesterday. My friend picked it up and took it back to the sea as there wasn’t much we could do.”
Experienced fisherman Paul Connelly, who is the owner of Rhos Point Pathfinder Sea Fishing business in Rhos on Sea, says the coastal areas aren’t being policed properly. He blamed a lack of resources: “I’m not surprised at all if nets have killed this.
“Nets are being used all over the place and I don’t agree with them.
“I see them being used in Rhoson-Sea, and the fishermen take the sea bass which is sold to the local hotels and restaurants and discard all the other fish which have died in the nets, including dogfish and whiting which the restaurants don’t want.
“It’s scandalous. There are good fishermen who do it right, but there are novices who don’t bother even getting a licence.”
Mr Connelly continued: “When I go out in the boat I see discarded nets all the time. A recent sad sight, was a seal with a fish hook lodged in his mouth, we couldn’t do anything because he wouldn’t come close enough to the boat.
“In the summer there was a baby seal playing in the harbour in Rhos, I watched him for days until his fore-flipper became lodged in a plastic white bag, which fishermen use to fill with sand and rocks to weigh down the nets. He died.
“The problem lies with the lack of manpower.
“There is a man who works for Natural Resources Wales who is supposed to police the nets and check licences, but the area he has to cover is huge.”
The problem may not only be contained to Llandudno. Leslie Wykes, who was walking along the beach at Porth Nefyn, near Pwllheli, discovered a mutilated porpoise washed up on the beach.
Mr Wykes said: “I found it washed up on Porth Nefyn with half of its face missing and a large chunk out of its stomach.”
A spokeswoman for Defra (Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs) said: “All commercial fishing vessels operating in the UK, whether using nets, pots or rods and lines, must hold a commercial fishing vessel licence.
“Fishing activity is subject to at sea and shore based compliance checks by agencies including the Marine Management Organisation in England and the UK’s devolved governments in their respective waters.”