UK Cetacean Conservation Strategy: right diagnosis, wrong prescription

Four years after it first went out to consultation, the UK Cetacean Conservation Strategy has finally been published. And while it correctly recognises the big, growing pressures on whales, dolphins and porpoises, namely bycatch, disturbance, pollution, underwater noise, and changing seas, it still lands with a disappointing thud rather than a splash. It's fair to say that we had hoped for so much more.

Wildlife and Countryside Link (WCL) summed up the core problem plainly across its channels: there are no new commitments from UK governments to reduce threats, and the actions set out are not assigned to a responsible body, not quantified, and not time-bound.

That critique resonates because the strategy leans heavily on the language of frameworks and possibilities offering a structure that “supports” delivery, and pointing to where action could be taken, rather than stating what will be done, by whom, and by when. Even official coverage (and there has been little of that, underlining its rather thin news appeal) frames delivery as something that will require “coordination… from multiple agencies and non-government partners”, which risks letting the government step back from the very regulatory levers only they can pull.

The gaps that matter most:

Disturbance: The strategy gestures towards exploring whether there’s a need for licensing or permitting for wildlife watching in specific high-risk areas. That’s potentially significant but “explore” is doing all the work here. WCL is right to call for strong new legislation to prevent disturbance, because voluntary approaches and unclear rules aren’t delivering consistent protection.

Bycatch: The strategy leans on existing initiatives and processes we already know are not turning the tide. Mentioning mandatory reporting doesn’t help if reporting isn’t happening in practice, and embedding mitigation into Fisheries Management Plans means little if it remains optional, vague, or unmeasured. This is exactly why WCL highlights the need for changes to fishing practices to stop bycatch, backed by monitoring, compliance and consequences.

Noise: Too much of what’s proposed is monitoring and awareness, with limited ambition to reduce the full suite of noise sources at sea. WCL’s call for limits on underwater noise pollution is the kind of concrete direction this strategy currently skirts around.

What a real strategy would look like

If this document is to become more than a recap, it needs to be followed quickly by an action plan that includes:

• named leads for each action (and which administration is accountable)
• clear timelines and measurable targets
• properly funded monitoring and transparent reporting
• enforceable measures on disturbance, bycatch and noise, not just “could” and “explore”

The pressures are well understood and evidenced. The disappointment is that the response still isn’t. ORCA will keep pushing for the shift WCL is calling for: from warm words to measurable action - because cetaceans need a lot more than frameworks.