The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has issued a report in which it says entanglement in gillnets, traps, weirs, purse seines, longlines and trawls is "resulting in an unsustainably high death toll" among whales.
The report has been published by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals under the UNEP and was compiled by Professor Boris Culik of Kiel University in Germany, covering 72 species of toothed whales.
"Most marine species are heavily affected by ongoing and unsustainable mortalities through fishery interactions," said UNEP. "Even if whales are not targeted directly by the fisheries, overfishing of their predominant prey species was identified as a threat to 13 species in 2011 as opposed to 11 in 2001. Lack of food and forced dietary shifts due to overfishing pose additional threats to these 13 species."
UNEP added that while hunting on a commercial scale has largely come to an end, many toothed whales still suffer losses from ongoing local hunting, deliberate killings or live captures. The UN agency says seas and oceans are increasingly affected by human activities, with impacts on an increasing number of species around the world.
"Toothed whales face major threats from bycatch, ship strikes, ocean noise and climate change. These threats need international regulation," the report states.
UNEP executive secretary Elizabeth Mrema says data collection and new scientific findings can facilitate the development and implementation of action plans under the Convention on Migratory Species to reduce the threats to many whale species. According to UNP, gear modifications towards using more selective types of nets or hooks, as well as acoustic repellents deterring marine mammals from fishing nets, are already being deployed.
Raphael Mweninguwe
