Whales swimming in Irish territorial seas now encounter a novel danger
In the early 20th century, Ireland served as a base for a Norwegian whaling operation that took hundreds of great whales from the Atlantic Ocean [1]. From 1908 to 1914, whaling boats from two stations in South Inishkea and Co Mayo caught a total of 693 whales of six species, with fin whales and blue whales being the most numerous [1]. However, commercial whaling was banned globally by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 1986 due to the threat of extinction for some species [5].
Fast forward to the present day, and a different threat is looming over the marine ecosystems off the Irish coast. The uncontrolled fishing of sprat, a small forage fish that is crucial to the food web, is causing a decline in the population, forcing whales to move to areas with more abundant food sources [2].
Whales are leaving the search area of west Cork primarily because the food they rely on, especially sprat, has been overfished and depleted in those waters [2]. This depletion of sprat makes the whales move to other areas like Donegal Bay [1]. The overfishing of sprat by industrial and smaller fishing vessels has severely impacted marine ecosystems off the south coast, creating "lifeless marine deserts" and forcing some whale-watching activities to cease because whales are no longer able to find enough sprat there [2].
To address this, the Irish government has announced measures to phase out large-vessel sprat trawling in inshore waters by 2026, including a ban on industrial sprat fishing by vessels over 18 meters inside six nautical miles [2]. However, groups like "Save Our Sprat" argue that these measures do not go far enough, as smaller trawlers under 18 meters still catch a significant portion (about 44%) of sprat, and no overall quotas on sprat are yet in place [1][2][4].
Campaigners continue to seek more comprehensive regulation and quota limits to prevent further overfishing [1][2][4]. A protest against the uncontrolled exploitation of sprat is planned in Clonakilty, Co Cork on August 13th [3].
Meanwhile, the decline in sprat population may have severe consequences for other marine species. Humpback whales, one of the most spectacular visitors to Irish waters, could be at risk due to the overfishing of sprat [1]. Sprat are being fished to near extinction [2].
The number of common dolphins in Irish waters has significantly increased due to a shift in their distribution rather than a population increase [6]. However, the whales that Colin Barnes, a west Cork skipper who established one of Ireland's first whale-watching businesses over a quarter of a century ago, used to observe have left his search area due to the overfishing of sprat, their primary food source [6].
On a positive note, fin and sperm whale populations may be recovering, and grey whales, once extinct in the Atlantic, are now recolonizing due to climate warming [1]. Dr Simon Berrow suggests that the increase in humpback whale numbers may be due to an end to hunting and potential effects of climate change [6].
In the early 1990s, Charles Haughey, then taoiseach, declared Europe's first Whale and Dolphin Sanctuary in Irish territorial waters [5]. James Fairley, a Belfast zoologist, researched the history of whaling in Ireland and published his findings in the book Irish Whales and Whaling [1].
[1] Irish Examiner
[2] Independent.ie
[3] Irish Times
[4] RTÉ News
[5] The Irish Times
[6] The Irish Times
- The current threat to marine ecosystems off the Irish coast is the overfishing of sprat, an issue that has recently attracted attention from environmental-science researchers and finance agencies, as it can have severe consequences for various marine species, including humpback whales and common dolphins.
- In an effort to combat this issue, the Irish government has proposed measures to regulate sprat fishing, such as phasing out large-vessel trawling and imposing quotas, but groups like "Save Our Sprat" argue that more comprehensive regulation is needed to prevent further environmental damage caused by the sprat industry.
