The fight to end seals, dolphins and whales dying in fishing nets
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Environmental groups are calling on the government to do more to prevent the deaths of sea animals accidentally caught in fishing nets in UK waters.
A new report into bycatch estimates that tens of thousands of protected seabirds, more than 1,000 porpoises and dolphins, and dozens of whales are dying in this way each year.
A report spokesperson said the government had been slow to develop plans to reduce bycatch and rules prevent fishermen near UK shores from putting acoustic devices on their nets to deter dolphins.
The government said it was “committed” to “restoring oceans to good health” and had been trialling deterrents since 2019.
