|
Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life at Nature Navigator.
|
Threats
The bottlenose dolphin faces a number of threats including human disturbance, entanglement in fishing nets, and hunting. Like all cetaceans it is vulnerable to chemical and noise pollution. The captivity industry that supplies the world aquarium trade is also a problem (8).
Conservation
The bottlenose dolphin is a UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) priority species (5). It is protected in UK waters by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Orders 1985; it is illegal to intentionally kill, injure, or harass any cetacean species in UK waters (5). The Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans in the Baltic and North Seas (ASCOBANS), has been signed by seven European countries, this includes the UK. Provision is made under this agreement to set up protected areas, promote research and monitoring, pollution control and increase public awareness (5). Under Annex II of the EC Habitats Directive, candidate marine Special Areas of Conservation (SACS) are being set up for this species in Cardigan Bay (Wales) and the Moray Firth (north-east Scotland) (5).
|
There may be further information about this species available via the National Biodiversity Network Gateway.
|
|
View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.
|
|
To help conserve this species by working in the field with Earthwatch, click here.
|
|
The UK Biodiversity Action Plan for this species is available at UK BAP.
|
ARKive principal sponsor
