The dolphin-like porpoise may be about to disappear completely from the Baltic Sea, say researchers who now see an urgent need for an inventory of the red-listed whale.
– I am worried. As it is now, we don’t know how the threatened population is doing, says Kylie Owen, curator at the National Museum of Natural History.
The Baltic Sea’s only whale, the porpoise, may be on the verge of disappearing completely. From being a common sight in the first half of the 20th century, at the last census ten years ago, only 500 whales remained. Since then, the sightings have become even fewer and the experts even more worried.
– I’m afraid. The porpoise has a very important role in the ecosystem, so the Baltic Sea really needs it. Therefore, it is important that we get a new inventory done, says Kylie Owen at the National Museum of Natural History.
Fishing nets and wind farms threaten
Fishing nets are today seen as the biggest threat to whales, but the expansion of wind farms also threatens the porpoise. And according to the researchers at the National Museum of Natural History, a new inventory is necessary to see how the population is doing, but for that it is necessary that all eight countries around the Baltic Sea participate.
– It is important so we get an overall picture and can deploy the right efforts if necessary, says Kylie Owen.
It is hoped that all countries will have received the go-ahead for funding by the end of June, so that next summer the researchers will be able to deploy 300 specially built hydrophones around the seabed. With the help of sound waves, they will then, over the course of a year, read how many individuals are left. At the same time, the public is asked to report any porpoises they see, alive or dead.