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On November 8th 2007, 5 Japanese
Whaling Ships once again set off to defy international law and
hunt protected whales in the Antarctic Ocean south of Australia
and New Zealand, the Southern Ocean Whale
Sanctuary, a critical protected area. On that
very same day the Japanese whaling program received a fresh
rebuke. Japanese government proposals to re-open commercial
whaling and trade in Minke and Bryde’s Whales were soundly
defeated at the UN CITES (Convention on the International Trade
in Endangered Species) meeting underway in Santiago Chile. It
was the fourth time that the Japanese proposals had failed.
Once again the world will witness the
unnecessary and destructive pretence of “scientific whaling” But
who carries out this research? There are no scientists on these
boats, the research is carried out by the Japanese whaling
industry. The Japanese government claims that the so called
research is needed to learn what whales eat, and claims that
whales are responsible for declining fish landing, when over
fishing and other human activities are the true cause. These so
called researchers have failed, because they seen ignorant of
the most basic fact about their subjects. On the same hunt last
year the whalers caught 440 whales and not one of the 440 whales
had eaten fish. These species do not eat fish, and this has been
well known for decades.
If it’s really data that these “researchers”
want, then the painful and protracted deaths of harpooned whales
is completely unnecessary. Australian scientists have determined
how to learn about whale diet by analysing whale faeces from
live animals, a methodology which actually yields superior data
over time.
A Common Dolphin was found stranded alive at
Marazion on Tuesday 15th January, probably washed ashore by
huge waves whipped up by recent stormy weather. A team of
experts from the RSPCA and BDMLR attended, and took it to Carbis
Bay where the seas were much calmer and made a successful
release. It seemed a little confused at first and reluctant to
leave the shore but soon realised it was free and headed
offshore.
 A
diver has recently photographed 3 unusual barnacles in a crevice
near Tater du, and sent the picture to Plymouth for
identification. They turned out to be Mitella pollicipes. This
species was first discovered on British shores in 1880 by a Mr
Groves who collected the 3 he found and sent them to The Natural
History Museum in London where they remain pickled in
formaldehyde.
When rock climbing in June 1983 I found a
single specimen on a rock which is only exposed at very low
spring tides, at the base of the cliff at Carn les Boel. I did
not collect it, but took a photo and this single Mitella has
been the only known specimen of this species in British waters
until now.
I have just learned that another diver found
and
photographed a Striped Blenny
Parablennius rouxi
off Plymouth last November.
This species is normally found in the Mediterranean, so are they
moving north? It is unlikely that this would be the only one off
British shores so keep an eye out for this new fish and report
it to me if you spot one.
 A
20” Loggerhead Turtle was found stranded alive in a mound of
seaweed on Blackrock Beach near Bude. BDMLR volunteers who
attended said it was covered in oil and in a severely weakened
state. They took it to The Blue Reef Aquarium, Newquay where it
was named James Bond after its official Stranding number 007.
After nursing it back to good health, they plan to airlift it to
warmer waters.
There were 6 reported sightings of Bottlenose
Dolphins during January, 2 dolphins off Newquay on the 24th and
the other 5 sightings were all in the St Ives area. One report
of an unidentified dolphin, also off St Ives were almost
certainly the Bottlenose. The only other dolphins reported were
the Common Dolphin rescued at Marazion and taken to Carbis Bay
for release and a Striped Dolphin at Gunwalloe that did not
survive.
Three Harbour Porpoises were seen off the
Rumps on the 1st day of the month and on the last day of the
month the Loggerhead Turtle was found. There were 80 cetacean
carcass’s found on Cornish Beaches during 2007; they were:
40 Common Dolphins
26 Harbour Porpoises
9 unidentified dolphins
3 Bottlenose Dolphins
1 Striped Dolphin
1 Minke Whale
From October onwards Grey Seals were the main
casualties with 25 strandings, 7 of which were pups. From late
November to the end of the year
Triggerfish were
stranding, 10 were found all along the north coast from Land’s
End to Mother Ivey’s Bay near Padstow.
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