They aren’t half clever
BOTTLENOSE dolphins in the Mediterranean Sea have learnt to take advantage of fishermen’s nets to catch prey in an easier way, according to the environmental association ANSE.
The information comes from the results of their yearlong study of local populations off the coast of south-east Spain and interactions with fishermen.
The environmentalists discovered that 93% of fishermen from Alicante to Málaga have had damage caused to their nets by dolphins.
They pointed out that the sea creatures – especially the bottlenose variety – search out areas where nets are placed to catch trapped fish.
The research was carried out with the support of the guilds from San Pedro del Pinatar, Cartagena, Adra-Almería and Veléz-Málaga.
ANSE members visited fishing areas from Santa Pola to Cabo de Palos and from Adra to Caleta de Vélez on board the
Else sailing boat and took photos and videos of dolphins to identify them.
The environmentalists also reached an agreement with 60% of the fishermen, who reported on damage to their nets and their frequent interaction with dolphins.
The fishermen noted that they use different types of nets to catch different types of fishes, and dolphins have apparently learned how to remove fish regardless of the type of net which is being used.
ANSE also placed an underwater sonar device in four specific fishing areas to record the sounds and conversations of the dolphins. Some of the data still has to be analysed and compared, but the preliminary results suggest that bottlenose dolphins interact on a regular basis over the nets.
The research has been financed by the ministry for ecological transition and the EU.