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The Devastating Impact of Bycatch on British Marine Life Thousands of Britain’s most charismatic and protected marine wildlife, including whales, porpoises, dolphins, seals and seabirds are being killed as “collateral damage” by fishing vessels every year, according to the first-ever analysis of bycatch data. The Scale of Bycatch The analysis, by the Wildlife and Countryside Link, a coalition of voluntary conservation groups, reveals the devastating toll bycatch, the accidental capture and killing of non-target species by fishing vessels, is having on marine species. Over 1,000 harbour porpoises and common dolphins killed annually 10,000 seabirds killed annually 500 seals killed annually 6 humpback whales and 30 minke whales found dead in Scottish creel ropes Over 1,000 endangered Atlantic salmon and 120 tonnes of protected sharks, skates and rays caught and killed as bycatch by commercial fishing vessels every year The Impact on Marine Ecosystems The deaths estimated in the report, which were extrapolated from datasets on bycatch and discard numbers, were more than likely to be “the tip of the iceberg”, it said, as only a fraction of the UK fishing fleet monitor bycatch. Only 0.05% of dredging vessels monitor this. They, like the bottom trawlers exposed in the recent David Attenborough film Oceans, drag heavy gear across the sea floor and are known for doing damage to marine life on the sea bed. Calls for Action Richard Benwell, the chief executive of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said most of the deaths were avoidable by using a range of mitigation measures. He called on the government in England to deliver promised action on bycatch of protected species. “From razorbills and dolphins to endangered salmon and sharks, the scale of destruction exposed in this report is shocking, with animals dying in awful and unnecessary ways.” Solutions and Recommendations The coalition is also calling on the government to require remote electronic monitoring on all fishing vessels operating in English waters, including small vessels under 10 metres that it said are responsible for a large proportion of bycatch. While the study covered deaths in UK waters, the recommendations are largely targeted at the UK government in England, drawing on the expertise of WCL’s English members, the report said.

In 2025, England's rivers and seas were hit by 291,492 instances of raw sewage discharge from storm overflows, a 35% reduction from the previous year. The discharges lasted for 1.8 million hours, a significant decrease from almost 4 million hours in 2024. The Environment Agency (EA) reported that some water companies achieved reductions of over 60% and 70% compared to the previous year. However, campaigners argue that the discharges, which are only supposed to occur in extreme weather conditions, are still too frequent and harmful to the environment. Richard Benwell, chief executive of Wildlife and Countryside Link, stated, 'When sewage is pouring out even in a dry year, you really know the system is broken.' He emphasized that rivers, lakes, and seas should not be used as pressure valves for pollution. The water industry acknowledged that dry conditions contributed to the reduction in discharges but also cited record levels of investment in the system. Water UK stated that the industry aims to halve spills over the next five years by building bigger storm tanks and expanding capacity at sewage treatment works. Michelle Walker, technical director for the Rivers Trust, highlighted that many discharges occur on dry days and are therefore illegal. She warned that the impact of these discharges will be more concentrated and damaging in already stressed ecosystems. The government and water companies face criticism for the ongoing pollution. Water minister Emma Hardy said there is still an unacceptable amount of sewage entering waterways and a long way to go in cleaning up rivers, lakes, and seas.