Saturday January 25, 2025, activists from the NGO Sea Shepherd discovered the bodies of three dolphins stranded on a beach in Vendée, one of which bore traces of a net. These strandings occur only three days after the entry into force of the space-time closure, a measure aimed at limiting accidental captures of dolphins by fishing vessels.
West winds to blame
According to Sud-Ouest, based on the NGO's observations, it is likely that the death of these cetaceans occurred before the application of the restrictions, which began on January 22. The westerly winds, particularly intense in recent days, would have pushed the corpses towards the coast. “Other strandings are feared in the days to come,” warns Sea Shepherd.
-A punchy action in the Old Port of La Rochelle
In the afternoon, the NGO exhibited one of the dolphins in the Old Port of La Rochelle to raise public awareness of the situation. This action comes in a context of tension with the fishing sector, although Sea Shepherd claims to want to engage in constructive dialogue with professionals.
A temporary closure deemed insufficient
The organization denounces the limited duration of the space-time closure, planned for four weeks. “We are campaigning for an extension of this measure to four months, but above all for a real exchange with fishermen in order to find a lasting solution to protect the dolphins,” declared a representative of Sea Shepherd at the La Rochelle port.
