More than 860 common dolphin strandings were recorded in Cornwall between 2018 and 2024 by volunteers from Cornwall Wildlife Trust's Marine Strandings Network. Of these, 175 animals were considered suitable for post-mortem examination, providing important insights into the challenges facing marine life.
New research shows bycatch is the leading cause of death among stranded common dolphins in Cornwall
New research has found that bycatch in fishing gear is the leading cause of death among common dolphins examined after stranding in Cornwall, accounting for 39% of cases where a post-mortem was possible.
Reducing bycatch is a shared goal for both fishers and conservationists. Many fishers have told us that seeing dolphins is one of the things they love most about working in "the best office in the world". However, bycatch remains a problem that has been insufficiently addressed by successive UK governments, and which is not supported by current policies.
This vital research highlights the amazing efforts of the Cornwall Marine Pathology Team and the hundreds of Marine Strandings Network volunteers who go out in all weathers to document stranded animals. They are ensuring these deaths do not go unnoticed and helping to build understanding of what is happening in our seas.
The paper has been published in the journal 'Diseases of Aquatic Organisms' and is the result of a collaborative study involving the Cornwall Marine Pathology Team, Cornwall Wildlife Trust and the University of Exeter, operating under the Defra-funded Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme.