Harbour porpoise (Phocoena Phocoena). Photo: © Alamy Stock Photo / Solvin Zankl
Contact: Stina Nyström
In the May 2020 edition of this newsletter, we described the movement to safeguard cetaceans in European waters, thanks to the efforts of a large NGO coalition who filed a joint legal complaint and called for the adoption of emergency measures in July 2019.
Despite some progress being made on paper, there has been little action in the sea. Since the update provided in our December 2020 Newsletter, the EU’s Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) released an evaluation in April 2021 which confirmed the EU countries’ inadequate response to bycatch of protected species, including Baltic Proper harbour porpoises.
Baltic member states aim to submit a second set of Joint Recommendations by June 2021. NGOs are calling for these to include measures covering the entire Baltic Sea region, in line with scientific advice. We are also calling on the Commission to promptly adopt emergency measures.
We will continue to follow this matter closely, and hope that harbour porpoises in the Baltic Sea will quickly receive the protection they so desperately need.
This article is part of the WWF Baltic Newsletter – May 2021
