Out of Sight, Out of Mind: How Conservation Is Failing European Porpoises
The conservation of harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) appears to be failing in Europe. There are particular concerns about this species in the Baltic Proper, Black, and Mediterranean Seas, as well as in the Northeast Atlantic, including the Iberian population, off the Spanish and Portuguese coast...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:a1346dc17caa4b62a39cd887f82a6a3c 2023-05-15T16:30:10+02:00 Out of Sight, Out of Mind: How Conservation Is Failing European Porpoises Ida Carlén Laetitia Nunny Mark P. Simmonds 2021-02-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.617478 https://doaj.org/article/a1346dc17caa4b62a39cd887f82a6a3c EN eng Frontiers Media S.A. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.617478/full https://doaj.org/toc/2296-7745 2296-7745 doi:10.3389/fmars.2021.617478 https://doaj.org/article/a1346dc17caa4b62a39cd887f82a6a3c Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol 8 (2021) harbor porpoise porpoise bycatch Phocoena Baltic vaquita Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 article 2021 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.617478 2022-12-31T06:56:35Z The conservation of harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) appears to be failing in Europe. There are particular concerns about this species in the Baltic Proper, Black, and Mediterranean Seas, as well as in the Northeast Atlantic, including the Iberian population, off the Spanish and Portuguese coasts. The Baltic Proper porpoise is “critically endangered,” with a population only in the low hundreds, and the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission has repeatedly called for action to ensure its survival. In 2020, the Committee issued a series of recommendations relating to it and the Iberian population. Similarly, the Black Sea harbor porpoise, Phocoena phocoena ssp. relicta, is classified by the IUCN as endangered. Another population which may be genetically distinct is the West Greenland harbor porpoise, which is hunted without quotas or close seasons. European cetaceans and their habitats are covered by a number of international and regional conventions and agreements and, under European Union law, are “highly protected.” In practice, however, these legal protections have failed to generate effective conservation. For example, Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) are required for them and, although sites have been designated in some marine areas/countries, in the absence of appropriate management plans, SACs cannot be expected to help improve the harbor porpoise's conservation status. Compared to many other species, porpoises are relatively long-lived with low reproductive capacity and only poor public recognition. Conservation and management efforts are caught up in a complicated nexus of interactions involving a web of commitments under international conventions and agreements, European environmental laws, and European fisheries policy. However, public disinterest, lack of political will to implement conservation measures, and complicated fishing-related issues hinder any real progress. More positively, recent advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland Northeast Atlantic Phocoena phocoena Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Greenland Frontiers in Marine Science 8 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
harbor porpoise porpoise bycatch Phocoena Baltic vaquita Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 |
spellingShingle |
harbor porpoise porpoise bycatch Phocoena Baltic vaquita Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 Ida Carlén Laetitia Nunny Mark P. Simmonds Out of Sight, Out of Mind: How Conservation Is Failing European Porpoises |
topic_facet |
harbor porpoise porpoise bycatch Phocoena Baltic vaquita Science Q General. Including nature conservation geographical distribution QH1-199.5 |
description |
The conservation of harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) appears to be failing in Europe. There are particular concerns about this species in the Baltic Proper, Black, and Mediterranean Seas, as well as in the Northeast Atlantic, including the Iberian population, off the Spanish and Portuguese coasts. The Baltic Proper porpoise is “critically endangered,” with a population only in the low hundreds, and the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission has repeatedly called for action to ensure its survival. In 2020, the Committee issued a series of recommendations relating to it and the Iberian population. Similarly, the Black Sea harbor porpoise, Phocoena phocoena ssp. relicta, is classified by the IUCN as endangered. Another population which may be genetically distinct is the West Greenland harbor porpoise, which is hunted without quotas or close seasons. European cetaceans and their habitats are covered by a number of international and regional conventions and agreements and, under European Union law, are “highly protected.” In practice, however, these legal protections have failed to generate effective conservation. For example, Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) are required for them and, although sites have been designated in some marine areas/countries, in the absence of appropriate management plans, SACs cannot be expected to help improve the harbor porpoise's conservation status. Compared to many other species, porpoises are relatively long-lived with low reproductive capacity and only poor public recognition. Conservation and management efforts are caught up in a complicated nexus of interactions involving a web of commitments under international conventions and agreements, European environmental laws, and European fisheries policy. However, public disinterest, lack of political will to implement conservation measures, and complicated fishing-related issues hinder any real progress. More positively, recent advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Ida Carlén Laetitia Nunny Mark P. Simmonds |
author_facet |
Ida Carlén Laetitia Nunny Mark P. Simmonds |
author_sort |
Ida Carlén |
title |
Out of Sight, Out of Mind: How Conservation Is Failing European Porpoises |
title_short |
Out of Sight, Out of Mind: How Conservation Is Failing European Porpoises |
title_full |
Out of Sight, Out of Mind: How Conservation Is Failing European Porpoises |
title_fullStr |
Out of Sight, Out of Mind: How Conservation Is Failing European Porpoises |
title_full_unstemmed |
Out of Sight, Out of Mind: How Conservation Is Failing European Porpoises |
title_sort |
out of sight, out of mind: how conservation is failing european porpoises |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.617478 https://doaj.org/article/a1346dc17caa4b62a39cd887f82a6a3c |
geographic |
Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Greenland |
genre |
Greenland Northeast Atlantic Phocoena phocoena |
genre_facet |
Greenland Northeast Atlantic Phocoena phocoena |
op_source |
Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol 8 (2021) |
op_relation |
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2021.617478/full https://doaj.org/toc/2296-7745 2296-7745 doi:10.3389/fmars.2021.617478 https://doaj.org/article/a1346dc17caa4b62a39cd887f82a6a3c |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.617478 |
container_title |
Frontiers in Marine Science |
container_volume |
8 |
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