Thousands of dolphins and porpoises are killed annually on the western French coast, according to the estimate from scientists. Campaigners also said that there are already tell-tale signs of marine life extinction.
French Government Bans Fishing in Parts of Bay of Biscay
The government of France immediately took action amid fears that some marine life was going extinct in the Bay of Biscay. It ordered to ban on fishing in parts of its western coastline amid rising concerns that dolphins are in "serious danger" of becoming extinct, Sky News reported.
According to estimates from the oceanographic institute Pelagis, "unintentional capture during fishing" has led to approximately 1,000 dolphins washing up on the nation's Atlantic coast this winter.
The State Council, a French judicial authority, has told the government to prohibit fishing in specific areas of the Bay of Biscay and improve protection for harbor porpoises, bottlenose dolphins, and common dolphins for six months.
In that maritime region of western France alone, 10,000 dolphins and porpoises are thought to be murdered annually by government-affiliated scientists; in one recent year, that number rose to 18,000 deaths.
Conservationists applauded the council's involvement but expressed their hope that many of the creatures may still be saved, given industrial fishing is mostly to blame for the deaths.
Signs of Extinction Observed in Dolphins
Experts noticed a clear sign of extinction among dolphins. According to them, the dolphins' reproductive patterns have changed, and they tend to give birth faster, a clear indicator before extinction.
According to officials, several species are currently under "unfavorable conservation," with the common dolphin and harbor porpoise in "serious danger of extinction" in the area.
French nets up to 31 miles long are used in contentious fishing practices, combing the seas in search of common fish while indiscriminately bringing in a wide variety of marine life.
Extreme amounts of mutilation have been found during autopsies on some dolphins.
According to activists, it is a regular practice for fishermen to remove body parts from suffocating dolphins when they become hooked in the nets to preserve their gear.
The action is a ray of light but bittersweet, according to Lamya Essemlali of Sea Shepherd France. This organization has fought for trawlers and boats to quit their harmful activities. She adds that many dead dolphins are already washing ashore, and she hopes there's still time to save the others.
Decapitated Dolphin in British Water
In a previous report from Science Times, British historian and TV presenter Dan Snow called out the people who decapitated the six-foot smalltooth sand tiger shark that washed ashore on Lepe Beach in Hampshire. He asked the person with the shark's head to return it because the scientists wanted to study its brain.
Snow acknowledged that removing parts of the dead fish is not illegal. However, he pleaded that the head he returned, so the experts could study it because it was an "exceptionally rare" find.
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