Winter 2020 €4.00 UK£3.45 ISSN 2565-6473 Issue No 4 Strangford Lough Noisy oceans Distinguished contributors Occasional visitors Military sonar The Volunteer Awards FROM THE EDITOR ISSUE 4 Flukes is the membership magazine of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group. The organisation promotes better understanding of Irish cetaceans and their habitats through education and Our cetacean heritage research. Irish Whale and Dolphin Group elcome to this issue of The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group is a company limited by guarantee and Flukes, our twice-yearly registered in Dublin. publication and one of Charity No: CHY 11163 a number of media – Charity Regulatory Authority No: ❝ 220029913 including a website, an The twin crises of climate Registered office: Merchants Quay, We-zine, social media and various Kilrush, Co Clare, V15 E762 publications – that the IWDG uses to help change and biodiversity Tel: (065) 905 1763 promote better understanding of Email: [email protected] Website: www.iwdg.ie cetaceans and their habitats through loss are deeply interlinked education and research. In addition, Officers IWDG actions such as Whale Tales and therefore, that the conservation status of Dr Simon Berrow Chief Executive Officer WhaleWatch Ireland, etc, help to achieve almost 50% of our cetacean species is of Trea Heapes the same aims. some concern, as being deficient in data is Group Coordinator no basis for conservation action. & Communications Officer This issue of Flukes has an underlying Pádraig Whooley theme, and that is the stranding of As regards climate change and its Sightings Officer cetaceans. The Irish government declared effects on species’ habitats, it might not Stephanie Levesque be immediately apparent that cetaceans Strandings Officer a climate and biodiversity emergency in Dave Wall 2019. While this decision was welcomed, are affected. A research study published in Conservation Officer such declarations are only as valid as their 2020,1 however, reported cetaceans Sibéal Regan Education & Outreach Officer consequential and systemic actions. outside their “normal” range (e.g. Bryde’s Aman Muttu The twin crises of climate change and Whale) and also in decreasing ranges (e.g. Northern Ireland Officer the white-beaked dolphin, a cold-water Padraic de Bhaldraithe biodiversity loss are deeply interlinked and Irish Language Officer & Editor must be addressed simultaneously. species found in northern Irish waters, now Frances Bermingham The increasing rate of strandings on our restricted to a reduced range and Membership Officer Susanne Matejka coasts is a cause for concern in terms of declining in abundance). Book-keeper biodiversity. The IWDG needs to continue its mission Mags Daly to help conserve our cetacean heritage as Shannon Dolphin Project Officer The IUCN (International Union for Karen van Dorp Conservation of Nature) classifies key species in the ecology of the oceans, Welfare Officer cetaceans in terms of their conservation and to call for an increase in the research Meadhbh Quinn effort on the ecology of the data-deficient IWDG Officer & Consultancy Team status. Of the 25 species that occur in Irish Member waters, three are listed by IUCN as species. Patrick Lyne ‘endangered,’ one is ‘near-threatened,’ two IWDG Officer & Consultancy Team Member are ‘vulnerable’ and seven are ‘data- Padraic de Bhaldraithe, Editor Tony Whelan deficient.’ The rest are classified as of Film-maker ‘least concern.’ One can suggest, 1 www.cutt.ly/whales-range Directors Brendan Quinn (Chair) Conal O’Flanagan (Secretary) Core sponsors of the Irish Dr Nóirín Burke Photograph: Anne Korff (Padraic de Bhaldraithe) (Padraic Anne Korff Photograph: Whale and Dolphin Group: Fiacc O’Brolchain Frances Bermingham Eamonn Clarke Flukes is published by the Irish Whale Editor and Dolphin Group (IWDG) twice a Padraic de Bhaldraithe year. The material published in Tel: 087 659 1904 Flukes by the editorial team and Email: [email protected] contributors, and the views expressed therein, must not be taken as official Design and layout IWDG policy unless specifically stated. Cóilín MacLochlainn Copy deadline for Spring 2021 issue Email: [email protected] ON THE COVER of Flukes is Friday, March 26th, 2021. Northern bottlenose whale stranded on Rossnowlagh beach, Co Donegal Printing: GPS Colour Graphics Ltd, Advertising PHOTO: FRANCES BERMINGHAM Alexander Road, Belfast BT6 9HP [email protected] Panel photographs, from left: PARTICIPATION AND RISK Readers of Flukes are reminded that Contributors Killer whales in Strangford Lough whalewatching (or watching any Simon Berrow, Nicola Coyle, Padraic de Bhaldraithe, Brian PHOTO: JUSTIN JUDGE cetacean species), at sea or from Glanville, Trea Heapes, Brian Holmes, Justin Judge, Marie Louis, Sowerby’s beaked whale breaching land, is an activity with a danger of Patrick Lyne, Nick Masset, Aman Muttu, Fiacc O’Brolchain, Seán PHOTO: ROSSA MEADE personal injury or death. Participants O’Callaghan, Mick O’Connell, Meadhbh Quinn, Sibéal Regan, should be aware of and accept these Ann Trimble (see story, page 22) risks and be responsible for their own Vincent Ridoux, Karen van Dorp, Dave Wall, Pádraig Whooley PHOTO: GER HOWARD actions and involvement. 2 Flukes Winter 2020 NEWS Stranding Protocol By Karen van Dorp, IWDG Welfare Officer In the May 2020 issue of Flukes, the IWDG announced that a Large Whale Stranding Response Protocol was in the making. The IWDG was calling for a coordinated approach to large whale strandings, as a substantial number of stranded cetaceans are large whales and former IWDG guidelines have proven insufficient in these cases. Due to the complications that arise because of the size and weight of large whales, a proper response is complicated in itself, but the lack of a coordinated response – and a division of responsibilities signed off by key partners – make it even more challenging. Therefore, the IWDG is hoping to produce a national protocol that sets out clear roles for all organisations involved in the case of a large whale stranding, a protocol Fin whale live-stranded in Courtmacsherry Bay, Co Cork, January 2009 that aids a considered, coordinated and well-resourced response, in order to ensure minimal stress to the animal been sent to a group of key partner organisations. and, indeed, to people witnessing the event. Excellent input has been received and an adjusted version Last May, we were in the process of identifying key of the protocol is nearly ready for circulation amongst a partners. Fast forward to today and key partner larger number of partners. The IWDG hopes to organise a organisations and their primary contacts have been plenary meeting between all key partners as soon as Photograph: Pádraig Whooley Pádraig Photograph: identified and a draft issue of the proposed protocol has possible, to finalise the protocol IWDG comments on marine spatial planning By Dave Wall, IWDG Conservation Officer received as part of that consultation process are currently being reviewed by the Department of Housing, Local The IWDG continues to participate in the National Government and Heritage. Marine Planning Framework Advisory Group, which was The next step will be publication of the final draft of the established by the government to facilitate participation plan for Oireachtas approval before the end of 2020. in the Marine Spatial Planning process by all relevant The IWDG will continue its participation in the National stakeholders from the economic, environmental and Marine Planning Framework Advisory Group to put social pillars. forward, as clearly as possible, the marine conservation The IWDG submitted comments on the Draft National perspective, as the National Marine Planning Framework Marine Planning Framework in April, and all comments enters its final, implementation phase A conversation about sprat! By Simon Berrow, IWDG CEO cannot be under-estimated. Sprat, address this ruling immediately and especially, is a keystone species. reinstate protection within 6nml. The IWDG regrets the recent High Fishers are not the only stakeholders Separately, the IWDG has written to Court judgment that found that the in this issue. The presence of species the Marine Institute urging it to carry ban on large vessels fishing inside the such as large whales can provide out more work on the ecology of six-nautical-mile limit was void and of significant opportunities for marine sprat in Irish waters, to inform proper no legal effect. This policy required all vessels >18m in length to restrict their ecotourism, especially in peripheral fisheries management. The IWDG fishing to beyond 6nml in order to coastal regions, and this also needs considers that protecting the base of protect inshore fish stocks, which to be considered when making the marine food chain is absolutely provide important food for a range management decisions. essential for a wide range of interests. of predators, from whales and The IWDG has joined with a range of Any measure that provides an dolphins to commercial fish species fellow NGOs and the inshore fishing opportunity for stocks of these and, indeed, to humans. fleet to request the Minister for forage fish to increase has positive The importance of forage fish Agriculture, Food and the Marine to implications for all stakeholders Winter 2020 Flukes 3 SIGHTINGS Fungie, it will be interesting to see if he takes up permanent residence or whether he’ll be just a seasonal visitor, like Nimmo outside Galway Docks! If you want to find large numbers of common dolphins, then areas with large numbers of whales are a good place to look, and so it’s no surprise that we received many reports of impressive numbers of this species in the southwest. There is nothing unusual about estimates of 100-300+ common dolphins, but a sighting by Mícheál Cottrell of Baltimore Sea Safari on September 20th suggests a best estimate of 1,500 dolphins, spread Finn, the solitary bottlenose dolphin recently inhabiting Carlingford Lough, Co Louth out towards Kedge Island, which may well have exceeded 2,000. The spectacle got even more interesting with the arrival of Sightings review bluefin tuna.