UK Cetacean Conservation Strategy

Joint Ministerial Foreword

Whales, dolphins and porpoises, collectively known as cetaceans, are some of the most iconic and captivating creatures found in UK waters. They are also highly mobile species, foraging both locally and widely in the marine environment for food. Cetaceans in the UK are both resident such as bottlenose dolphin found in Moray Firth, Scotland and Cardigan Bay, Wales, and migratory with other species undertaking considerable seasonal migrations. Because of this, some populations do not stay within one area or country – instead, they rely on healthy seas right across the UK to survive.

Sadly, these incredible animals face numerous challenges from a variety of pressures ranging from poor water quality, human activities and competing usage of our seas. And perhaps most worrying of all, climate change is altering the seas and the availability of food for many species, including cetaceans.

That’s why this Strategy has been developed at a UK-wide level. It brings together knowledge and expertise from across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to look at the threats cetaceans face and how we can work together to protect them. Building on the Scottish Government’s initial lead, we would like to thank all the governments, nature conservation bodies, scientists, organisations and individuals who have contributed to the development of this Strategy.

Addressing the pressures outlined in this Strategy cannot be done by a single organisation or country alone, but will require coordination, collaboration, innovation and endeavour from multiple agencies and non-government partners. It is therefore important that we all play our part in protecting these iconic species. To guide action, the Strategy sets out six high-level recommendations on which this collective effort and partnership working should be focused.

Seeing dolphins leaping through the waves or a whale breaching the surface is an unforgettable experience – a reminder of the wild beauty that still exists in our seas. This Strategy sets out how we can help protect these animals so that future generations across the UK and wider can enjoy and be inspired by them too and that the UK continues to remain a stronghold for these species now and in the future.

Gillian Martin MSP Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy for Scotland

Emma Hardy MP Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Water and Flooding, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Huw Irranca-Davies MS Deputy First Minister & Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs for Wales

Andrew Muir MLA Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs of Northern Ireland