A surge of disturbance incidents of dolphins by small marine traffic over the summer months has now ended devastatingly. The Cornwall Wildlife Trust and the Cornwall Marine and Coastal Code Group had received high levels of disturbance reports from the public, calling on “RIBS, jet skies and stand-up paddleboards near marine life [that were] harassing and chasing dolphins away from their territory and away from Cornish coastline". In the middle of August, a dead baby common dolphin had been washed ashore at Gunwalloe. The post-mortem now finally revealed that the “cause of death was head trauma, most likely caused by a boat strike.”
Abby Crosby, the marine conservation officer for the Cornwall Wildlife Trust empathizes that “this baby dolphin represents the very reason we are working so hard in Cornwall to raise people’s awareness of the issue of marine wildlife disturbance by water users. It is a devastating result which could have been avoided with more responsible behaviour.” Through the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981, such reckless behaviour can be convicted with a £5,000 fine and/or six months imprisonment.
On the Trust’s website, a Code of Conduct has been established that explains how people can help and the best way to watch marine wildlife in a safe and responsible manner to keep the Cornish marine ecosystem intact.
The full article can be found here: https://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/18721356.baby-dolphin-found-dead-lizard-killed-suspected-boat-strike/
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