January 2026 saw 27 dolphins wash up dead on Cornwall’s beaches. In just eight days, seven dolphins stranded and were recovered for post-mortem examination, with four confirmed to have died as a result of bycatch. Bycatch remains one of the greatest threats to cetaceans worldwide, including in Cornish waters. 

James Barnett, veterinary pathologist for the Cornwall Marine Pathology Team, said three animals “were clearly caught in monofilament nets” with fine linear cuts around the beak, head, fins, and tail. A fourth had clean cuts into the tail fluke consistent with other known bycatch cases where cuts have been made to remove a dead dolphin from a net. 

Local fishermen do not want to catch these wonderful animals, and many have worked hard to reduce risk. In Mevagissey, fishermen have secured their own funding, reduced the time nets are in the water, and stayed alongside gear to prevent bycatch. These voluntary actions have been effective locally, with no recorded bycatch on onboard cameras in the past four years. However, stronger policy is needed to address the issue at scale. Regulators have yet to introduce management measures that fully support these efforts.  

Nick West, chair of the Mevagissey Fisherman’s Association, said fishermen “are fully committed to excluding the likelihood of bycatches completely” and that “we have not given up with our goal of being able to use pingers” (acoustic devices that deter dolphins).  

Rebecca Allen from Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Marine Strandings Network, reported that dolphin strandings have more than doubled over the last decade, with an average of 200 washing up around Cornwall each year. 

“Of the animals we can assess, more than one in four show evidence of bycatch,” Rebecca said, adding that this is likely an underestimate due to decomposition and damage. Similar stranding levels are being reported across Europe, raising concerns about population impacts.  

Cornwall Wildlife Trust is calling on government and regulators to introduce the long-overdue management measures needed to better protect dolphins and porpoises and is urging concerned public to raise the issue with their MPs.