Pilot whales caught in shallows

22 July 2011 Last updated at 17:27 GMT The first rescuers on the scene have been dealing with whales on the shoreline Two whales have come ashore and up to 15 others were in difficulty in shallow water at Kyle of Durness, on the north Highland coast.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said the whales were believed to be from a pod of as many as 60.

The long-finned pilot whales may have been hunting prey or had sought a place to rest.

A Royal Navy bomb disposal team training in the area has offered its help in any rescue effort.

A small group of onlookers watch rescuers try to refloat the stranded animals

British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) and Scottish SPCA inspectors headed for the scene.

Highland Council countryside ranger Donald Mitchell and nine coastguard volunteers have been monitoring the situation.

Mr Mitchell said that at low tide only a narrow channel of sea remained.

Kyle of Durness opens out into Balnakeil Bay.

Charlie Phillips, a Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) field officer, said the area was remote and it would take rescuers sometime to reach the scene.

Mr Phillips told the BBC News Scotland website: "It is going to be tricky.

"It is a remote and difficult place to get to."

Mr Phillips added: "The whales may have come in from the Pentland Firth, following prey or trying to find somewhere to rest."

Marine strandings

He said a young female pilot whale was found at Scourie, in Sutherland, a few weeks ago.

The Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) said it understood that two whales were stranded on the shore.

SAC vet Dr Andrew Brownlow, who leads the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme, was driving to the scene.

The college said: "The latest report is that two of the whales have become stranded on the shore, 15 are currently in shallow water and at significant risk of becoming stranded and at least another 20 whales may be heading towards the shallows.

"Should any of the whales fail to make it back out to sea and do not survive, Dr Brownlow will lead post mortem examinations with the aim of identifying what has caused them to come ashore.

"This enables the Strandings Scheme to monitor trends in causes of marine strandings which in turn allows identification of any new or developing hazards to marine mammals in Scottish waters."

In May, two pilot whales were found dead in a Hebridean loch after experts feared more than 60 of the animals had been at risk of becoming beached.

The pod had got into difficulty in Loch Carnan in South Uist.

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Whaling meeting 'ignores whales'

14 July 2011 Last updated at 22:04 GMT By Richard Black Environment correspondent, BBC News, Jersey The whaling body finds itself entangled in conflict - some would say hopelessly so The International Whaling Commission's (IWC) annual meeting has closed after a tense final day when relations between opposing blocs came close to collapse.

Latin American nations attempted to force a vote on a proposal to create a whale sanctuary in the South Atlantic.

Pro-whaling countries walked out, but eventually it was decided to shelve any vote until next year's meeting.

Environment groups said the delays and wrangling meant important issues for whale conservation were neglected.

But a number of nations pledged new funding for research on small cetaceans, some of which are severely threatened.

Earlier in the meeting, governments agreed new regulations designed to prevent "cash for votes" scandals that have plagued the IWC in the past, and passed a resolution censuring the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society for putting safety at risk during its annual missions to counter Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean.

But the sanctuary issue threatened to derail the entire session.

"Whale species and populations from the Southern Atlantic oceanic basin were amongst the ones that suffered the most due to commercial whaling on a large scale," Roxana Schteinbarg, from the Argentina-based Institute for the Conservation of Whales, told delegates.

"Fifty-four species live in the waters where the sanctuary is proposed - it is therefore appropriate that the protection of these species in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary be extended and complemented in the reproduction areas in the Atlantic Southern basin."

The 14-strong Buenos Aires bloc of nations knew it did not command the three-quarters majority needed to win, but remained determined to put it to the test.

"We didn't come here to win the sanctuary on the vote, but we wanted to put it to a vote - we believe our conservation agenda cannot be put forward, be stressed, be highlighted, be defended in some issues without a vote," said Brazil's commissioner Marcus Henrique Paranagua.

"Why not vote on things that are controversial?"

Voting with feet Delegates from pro-whaling countries walked out in protest when a vote was called

The pro-whaling bloc said this could herald a return to the fractious days of the past, and walked out in an attempt to bring the meeting below the quorum needed for votes to count.

"We fear that the fact of voting will probably damage the very good atmosphere we have established, and might trigger a landslide of many votes for next year which might disrupt the progress we have made," said Japan's alternate (or deputy) commissioner Joji Morishita.

"This was not a hostile move to the Latin American countries - our effort is to try to save this organisation, and it turned out ok."

The good atmosphere, he added, had survived a "very difficult day".

Critics, however, said the pro-whaling countries had tried to hold the commission to ransom by their walkout.

Explosive meeting

The compromise eventually hammered out, after private discussions lasting nearly nine hours, asks countries to strive to reach consensus during the coming year.

The vaquita was among the casualties here

If that proves impossible, next year's meeting will start with a vote on the South Atlantic Sanctuary.

That could prove a particular concern for the US, which will be aiming at that meeting, in Panama, to secure renewed quotas for its indigenous hunters.

US commissioner Monica Medina agreed the potential vote "put a hand-grenade" under next year's meeting.

"I'm more than a little concerned - we've made good progress on improving the IWC's governance and that's a good thing," she said.

"But as long as we choose to continue fighting, all of the IWC's members will lose; and the world's whales deserve better."

The US played a leading role in the two-year "peace process" that attempted to build a major compromise deal between the various parties, and which collapsed at last year's meeting.

Missing in action

Huge delays during the four days of talks meant that many items on the agenda pertinent to the health of whales and other cetaceans did not get discussed.

How to prevent whales from being killed by collisions with ships, how to reduce floating debris and how to tackle the growth of noise in the oceans were among the issues that received no discussion.

"Acrimony is often the enemy of conservation - in this case, it meant that a critical meeting on whales failed to address the greatest threats they face," said Wendy Elliott, head of environment group WWF's delegation.

"Several whale and dolphin species are in crisis - teetering on the brink of extinction - and conservation must be front and foremost at next year's IWC meeting, for the sake of the whales and the commission."

The research programmes of the cash-strapped commission received something of a boost with France, Italy and several non-governmental groups pledging a total of about ?80,000 ($130,000) for small cetaceans, which include the critically endangered Mexican vaquita.

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Whales 'at risk' from oil surveys

12 July 2011 Last updated at 08:31 GMT By Richard Black Environment correspondent, BBC News, Jersey Restrictions put on development are not enough, delegates urged Oil and gas exploration in the Russian Far East continues to threaten whales, delegates at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting have warned.

The critically endangered western population of gray whales spends its summer feeding around Sakhalin island.

Companies using seismic guns to find oil and gas in the area do take steps to reduce the impact; but scientists with the IWC say they need to do more.

Surprising new evidence has also emerged on the whales' migration.

The western population of gray (or grey) whales is one of the most threatened group of cetaceans on the planet, with only about 130 remaining, including an estimated 26 breeding females.

A small area on the Sakhalin coast is their only known feeding ground.

The IWC's scientific committee recommended that "appropriate monitoring and mitigation plans" should be implemented for oil and gas exploration in the area.

It also urged companies to work with independent scientists to "co-ordinate seismic surveys and other noise producing activities".

Making a noise Seismic surveys entail the use of underwater sound at intensities that can force whales out of the area nearby, and may damage their hearing.

Following last year's IWC meeting, a group of 12 countries sent a letter to the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment urging the postponement of a major survey for at least a year.

However, the survey, for a local branch of the giant Rosneft corporation, went ahead.

Observers from non-governmental organisations report that surveying did not always stick within rules designed to minimise impacts on whales - for example, by detonating the seismic guns at night, when ships could not tell whether any whales were close by.

They also reported seeing fewer whales in the feeding area in days immediately following the surveys.

At this year's IWC meeting, the US and UK were among governments expressing concern about the situation and asking Russia to take tougher action.

And Belgium's delegate Alexandre de Lichtervelde said plans for expanding infrastructure at the site were premature.

"We are concerned that one of the companies (Sakhalin Energy) has announced a plan for a new oil and gas platform offshore," he told the meeting.

"That is happening while the full impact of events in 2010 have not been fully assessed."

Valentin Ilyashenko, leader of the Russian delegation here, said all oil and gas projects had to go through an impact assessment; but some effect on the whales could not be avoided.

"Human activities do influence the western gray whale; our task is to minimise the impact from human activities," he told BBC News.

"But we can't stop [human] progress, and we can't stop using oil."

Whale of a surprise

Last year, scientists attempted to put tags on 12 western gray whales in order to track their route to their breeding grounds, believed to be further south.

The gray whale that entered the Med last year and, scientists believe, probably died

It was thought that if their migration route could be mapped, other conservation measures could be put in place, such as keeping them out of fishing gear.

In the end, only one tag was placed before time ran out - on a male that scientists dubbed "Flex".

Some weeks later, to the researchers' complete surprise, Flex started heading not south but north and east, ending up on the other side of the Pacific on the US west coast.

This is the area occupied by the separate - and much bigger - eastern gray whale population. Genetic studies show that the two populations do not generally interbreed.

"It was completely the opposite of what any of us had suspected," said Greg Donovan, the IWC's head of science.

"So then we started to look at photos from the catalogue of our animals off Sakhalin island, and compare with those taken down the Pacific coast of the US and further south.

"And we've now ended up with 10 animals that have been seen on both sides."

What that means for our understanding of the western gray whales, or for their conservation, is as yet unclear. Other tagging studies are planned this year that might provide more information.

The gray whale that found its way into the Mediterranean Sea last year, however, probably sheds no light on the issue, said Mr Donovan - it probably just got lost.

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Whales leave loch following death

22 May 2011 Last updated at 15:42 GMT The animal will be examined to find out why it died

A pod of more than 60 pilot whales, at risk of beaching, has again left a Hebridean loch after one of them died.

The animals had left the shallow waters of Loch Carnan in South Uist on Saturday, however returned during the night when the beaching took place.

A post-mortem examination suggested the young female died from a disease, not because it was stranded on rocks.

Marine experts said the rest of the pod had now left the loch and appeared to be heading south.

Dr Andrew Brownlow, who carried out the autopsy, said the whale showed signs of having suffered a serious disease and its injuries were not bad enough to have killed it.

That could indicate that head injuries suffered by a number of other members of the group are not life-threatening.

Rescue teams have been searching the islands and inlets of the loch but have not found any other whale carcasses.

The British Divers Marine Life Rescue team has now been forced to withdraw due to worsening weather conditions.

The team is planning to leave South Uist on Monday but will leave behind essential kit, in case the whales are seen close to the shores of the island over the next few days.

Wildlife tour operator Steve Duffield captured this image of the whales

The whales were first spotted around Loch Carnan on Thursday, sparking fears that they would perish in a mass stranding.

There had been concerns after about 20 of the pod were spotted with head injuries, thought to have been sustained while in the shallow water.

The Scottish government lent rescuers a fisheries protection boat to follow the animals' movements.

Alisdair Jack, Scottish National Organiser of the BDMLR, said: "The reasons why whales beach themselves is not known, however illness can be a factor.

"We are hopeful that the remaining members of this pod have now left the vicinity and moved out to sea.

"The support provided by the Scottish government, and by the MPV Hirta in particular, have been very much appreciated by the BDMLR."

'Greater tragedy'

Environment Minister Stewart Stevenson said: "I am pleased to hear that the pod has left the loch and hope they remain in deeper waters.

"The loss of life is very unfortunate but a number of teams working together in South Uist have ensured that a greater tragedy has been averted.

"Given the death of one whale, and clear injuries to a number of other animals, the MPV Hirta will continue to search for the pod and provide monitoring assistance."

At the end of October last year, some pilot whales almost got stranded in the same sea loch. Less than a week later, 33 whales, believed to be the same group, were found dead on a beach in County Donegal in the Irish Republic.

Pilot whales prefer deep water but come inshore to feed on squid, their main food.

Last week a pilot whale died on Sunday morning after getting stuck in the Sullom Voe inlet in Shetland. An autopsy was carried out on the animal to try to establish why it died but the results are not yet known.

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