A dead dolphin is delivered to the French Embassy in London

Dead dolphins bearing the scars of a final struggle in large fishing nets were today (31 March) delivered simultaneously to French government offices in Paris and London. The deliveries came as Greenpeace renewed calls for a total ban on pair trawling - a form of fishing which is estimated to kill thousands of dolphins in the Channel every year.

In London, Greenpeace activists delivered the frozen dolphins to the French Embassy in Knightsbridge. The dolphins were left on the steps to the building. In Paris, the dolphins were delivered to the office of the Fisheries Minister.

The dolphins were recently recovered in the Channel by the Greenpeace ship Esperanza during its six-week tour of the area. The tour exposed the large numbers of dolphins being killed in the nets of French and UK pair trawl boats fishing for sea bass.

During the tour one lactating female and three still-warm dolphins with their bellies slit wide open were found close to areas where French pair trawlers were operating. The animals' stomachs are likely to have been slit in an effort to make them sink. In total nine dead dolphins were found during the ship tour. Greenpeace volunteers also took action to prevent both French and UK pair trawlers operating.

Pair trawlers fish in twos, dragging a huge net between them. French boats dominate the fleet in the Channel. Government observers on UK sea bass trawlers last year recorded over 150 dolphins killed by just one pair of trawlers. Government figures estimate that the UK fleet alone was responsible for the deaths of 439 dolphins last year. It is estimated that the UK and French fleets combined could be killing over 2,000 dolphins a year. If the current kill rate continues it could lead to the extinction of dolphins in the Channel.

Oliver Knowles, Greenpeace oceans campaigner, said: "Even though the French pair trawling fleet is the largest in Europe, the French government has taken no action to stop this fishery which kills dolphins in massive numbers every year.

"The two dead dolphins now lying on the French Embassy's steps represent just a tiny part of a massive problem. Governments on both sides of the Channel should act immediately to protect these animals and ban pair trawling now."

Further information
For more information, contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255. For more about the Esperanza's tour visit www.greenpeace.org.uk/oceans

Greenpeace deliver dead dolpihns to the French Embassy in London to call for a ban on pair trawling

Two dead dolphins bearing the scars of a final struggle in large fishing nets were today delivered to the French government as Greenpeace renewed calls for a ban on pair trawling - a form of fishing which is estimated to kill thousands of dolphins in the Channel every year.

The dolphins were recently recovered in the Channel by the Greenpeace ship Esperanza and stored in a freezer container. One of the mammals was lactating when her body was discovered, indicating that she had recently given birth. Sixteen French pair trawlers were fishing in a 12-mile radius of her body.

At 9am this morning, Greenpeace volunteers delivered the frozen dolphins to the French Embassy in Knightsbridge, London. The dolphins were left on the steps to the building.

Pair trawlers fish in twos, dragging a huge net between them. The fleet in the Channel is dominated by French boats. Last week a French pair trawl fishermen admitted to Greenpeace that dolphins had died in their nets the previous night, and just two days ago Greenpeace volunteers found three more dead dolphins with their stomachs cut wide open floating in the sea. The animals' stomachs are likely to have been slit in an effort to make them sink.

Oliver Knowles, Greenpeace oceans campaigner, said: "The French pair trawling fleet is the largest in Europe and these dead dolphins are only the tip of the iceberg. Thousands of these animals are killed in the Channel every year and French pair trawlers bear the brunt of responsibility for these unnecessary deaths.

"Until pair trawling is banned, no dolphin in the Channel is safe. The French and UK governments must act immediately."

Greenpeace's flagship the Esperanza left Falmouth on the 17 February to campaign for a total ban on pair trawling for sea bass in the Channel, due to the large amount of dolphin deaths associated with the industry.

Government observers on UK sea bass trawlers last year recorded over 150 dolphins killed by just one pair of trawlers. Government figures estimate that the UK fleet alone was responsible for the deaths of 439 dolphins last year. Greenpeace estimates that the UK and French fleets combined could be killing over 2,000 dolphins a year. If the current kill rate continues it could lead to the extinction of dolphins in the Channel.

Opposition to the industry has been growing in France and recently local line fishermen from North Finistere added their voice to those calling for tighter controls on sea bass fisheries.

Greenpeace have also launched a legal challenge arguing that under the EU Habitats Directive, the UK Government is obliged to take swift and effective action to protect the dolphin population.

Further information
For more information, contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255.

Two of three dead dolphins discovered on 15 March 2005 40 miles south of Plymouth

Greenpeace volunteers in the Channel today (8am 15th March 2005) stopped two French boats from pair trawling for sea bass in UK waters - to stop them from killing dolphins in their nets. An hour later (9am) Greenpeace found three dead dolphins with their stomachs cut wide open floating in the sea. The volunteers retrieved the dead animals, whose stomachs are likely to have been slit in an effort to make them sink, onto the Greenpeace ship, Esperanza, for documentation.

Volunteers approached the trawlers Columbine and L'Arlequin in Greenpeace inflatable boats at 8am, about 40 miles south of Plymouth, before removing buoys from the fishing net, forcing a halt to the fishing operation. A school of dolphins were surrounding the boats as the action took place. At least five other pairs of trawlers are operating in the area.

The two trawlers are part of the French pair trawling fleet who dominate the sea bass fishery. The fleet is estimated to kill thousands of dolphins every year. Just last week French pair trawl fishermen in the Channel admitted to Greenpeace that dolphins had died in their nets the previous night (1).

Greenpeace's flagship the Esperanza left Falmouth on the 17 February to campaign for a total ban on pair trawling for sea bass in the Channel, a fishing method that is believed to be responsible for the deaths of more than 2000 common dolphins every year.

Government observers on UK sea bass trawlers last year recorded over 150 dolphins killed by just one pair of trawlers. Government figures estimate that the UK fleet alone was responsible for the deaths of 439 dolphins last year. Greenpeace estimates that the UK and French fleets combined could be killing over 2,000 dolphins a year. If the current kill rate continues it could lead to the extinction of dolphins in the channel.

Opposition to the industry has also been growing in France and recently local line fishermen from North Finistere added their voice to those calling for tighter controls on sea bass fisheries.

Sarah Duthie, head of Greenpeace's oceans campaign, said: "Pair trawlers kill thousands of dolphins every year, independent observers onboard trawlers have said so, and the net damaged dolphin carcasses washing up on beaches tell us the same tale.

"We need action now from Fisheries Minister Ben Bradshaw. He's got the power to stop dolphins dying a brutal death in these nets and he should use it now."

Esperanza has been gathering evidence of the impacts of pair trawling and taking direct action to stop pair trawl crews from operating. Last week the crew of Esperanza found a dead dolphin floating in the sea approximately 50 miles south of Plymouth, in UK waters, bearing the telltale injuries of having been caught and killed in a fishing net. Within a 12-mile radius of the body, eight sets of French pair trawlers, 16 boats in all, carried on fishing. The female dolphin was lactating, indicating that she had recently given birth.

Greenpeace have also launched a legal challenge arguing that under the EU Habitats Directive, the UK Government is obliged to take swift and effective action to protect the dolphin population.

Further information
For more information please contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255.

(1) The captain of French trawlers Le Baron and Magellan earlier this month admitted to Greenpeace crew onboard Esperanza that they were responsible for dolphin deaths. When contacted by radio and asked, "Can I ask you if you have unfortunately had any dolphins in your net recently?" they replied, "Yes, we fished two this night".

A recent Natural History Museum report, 'Out of the Blue' found that cetacean (dolphin, whale and porpoise) strandings rose from 360 in 1994 to 782 in 2004. The biggest increase has been in the past five years, according to the report. The surge was attributed to winter strandings of short-beaked common dolphins and harbour porpoises in south-west England.

Trawler crew remove a Greenpeace buoy from their net which is preventing them fishing

Greenpeace today vowed to disrupt as many pair trawling vessels in the Channel as possible in an attempt to save dolphins from being pushed towards extinction.

The environmental group's promise comes as activists attempted to halt two UK pair trawlers - the Ocean Dawn and the Sunrise - from fishing by attaching large buoys to their net.

Pair trawlers are responsible for the deaths of thousands of dolphins in the Channel every year, according to Greenpeace. The dolphins are caught and drowned in the huge net dragged between two vessels.

Today's engagement between Greenpeace volunteers and the trawlers happened soon after 9am, about 32 miles south-west of Plymouth.

Yesterday Greenpeace took action to stop the French vessels, Sonia Jerome and Cote d'Amour, fishing after finding a dead dolphin in the Channel which bore all the telltale signs of having been caught and killed in a large fishing net. In recent days, Greenpeace have successfully stopped UK pair trawlers from fishing on two occasions.

Last year, government observers found that just one pair of UK trawlers killed over 150 dolphins. The UK fleet alone is estimated to be responsible for the deaths of 439 dolphins last fishing season. The UK and French fleets combined could be killing over 2,000 dolphins a year.

According to the environmental group, Ben Bradshaw, the Fisheries Minister, has consistently failed to take the necessary measures to protect dolphins around the UK.

Sarah Duthie, Greenpeace oceans campaigner onboard the Esperanza, said: "We will attempt to stop as many pair trawlers as possible. This destructive form of fishing is killing thousands of dolphins every year.

"Bradshaw hasn't done anything to save dolphins from these huge nets, so at the moment it's up to us to stop these trawlers from driving them to extinction."

The Esperanza left Falmouth on the 17 February to campaign for a ban on pair trawling for sea bass in the Channel. An independent team of researchers from the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) is on board to further assess the conservation and welfare threats to whale, dolphin and porpoise populations.

Greenpeace want the government to investigate, which other fishing methods are also killing dolphins and porpoises and take action. Worldwide, the unintentional capture in fishing nets of dolphins, porpoises and other marine species is recognised to be a major problem. It is estimated to kill some 300,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises a year. Overall it has been estimated that 23% of the global fisheries catch is returned, dead, to the sea.

Further information
Contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255.

Greenpeace swimmers try and stop French dolphin-killing trawlers from fishing

Greenpeace activists today continued their campaign to protect dolphins in the Channel by trying to stop two French 'pair trawlers' from fishing for sea bass. Greenpeace swimmers put themselves in the path of the two vessels Sonia Jerome and Cote d'Amour in an attempt to stop them pair trawling - a fishing method that traps and drowns dolphins in the giant net towed between the two vessels.

Just hours previously, around 9am, observers onboard the Greenpeace ship Esperanza discovered a dead dolphin approximately 50 miles south of Plymouth, in UK waters, bearing the telltale injuries of having been caught and killed in a fishing net. Within a 12-mile radius of the body, eight sets of French pair trawlers, 16 boats in all, carried on fishing. The female dolphin was lactating, indicating that she had recently given birth.

This is the first time that direct action has been taken against French pair trawlers, who form the majority of the pair trawl fleet fishing for sea bass in the Channel. The fleet is estimated to kill thousands of dolphins every year.

Two Greenpeace swimmers entered the water in the path of the Sonia Jerome and Cote d'Amour at 11.15am today close to the area where the dead dolphin was earlier recovered. The swimmers, holding on to buoys emblazoned 'Stop Killing Dolphins' and the French equivalent 'Stop Au Massacre Des Dauphins', were swept aside in the wake of the trawlers and picked up by a Greenpeace inflatable boat.

In recent days, Greenpeace has successfully stopped UK pair trawlers from fishing on two occasions.

Greenpeace is concerned that government observers on UK sea bass trawlers last year recorded 169 dolphins killed in the huge net dragged between two boats. Government figures estimate that the UK fleet alone was responsible for the deaths of 439 dolphins last year. The UK and French fleets combined could be killing over 2,000 dolphins a year.

According to the environmental group, Ben Bradshaw, the Fisheries Minister, has consistently failed to take the necessary measures to protect dolphins around the UK.

Sarah Duthie, Greenpeace oceans campaigner onboard the Esperanza, said: "We shouldn't have to do this. But we have no choice, given Bradshaw's shameful lack of concern for dolphins and failure to address the thousands of dolphin deaths caused by pair trawlers every year.

"The dead dolphin we discovered today was surrounded by pair trawlers. This ridiculously destructive form of fishing must be banned."

The Esperanza left Falmouth on the 17 February to campaign for a ban on pair trawling for sea bass in the Channel. An independent team of researchers from the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) is on board to further assess the conservation and welfare threats to whale, dolphin and porpoise populations.

Greenpeace want the government to investigate, which other fishing methods are also killing dolphins and porpoises and take action. Worldwide, the unintentional capture in fishing nets of dolphins, porpoises and other marine species is recognised to be a major problem. It is estimated to kill some 300,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises a year. Overall it has been estimated that 23% of the global fisheries catch is returned, dead, to the sea.

Further information
For more information please contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255.

Greenpeace RIB intercepts dolphin-killing pair trawlers

Greenpeace volunteers today stopped a pair of fishing trawlers from carrying out a fishing method known to kill dolphins. Government observers found that the two vessels the Ocean Star and Ocean Crest killed more than 150 dolphins last season while pair trawling for sea bass.

The Ocean Star and Ocean Crest are part of a pair trawling fleet, which is estimated to kill thousands of dolphins in the Channel every year. Pair trawlers fish in twos and drag a huge net between them, which traps and drowns dolphins.

Greenpeace protestors approached the fishing vessels in inflatable boats at 3.30pm, about 30 miles south of Plymouth. As soon as Greenpeace approached the trawlers they stopped fishing and hauled in their nets. The Greenpeace volunteers will remain with the fishing vessels and will peacefully disrupt any attempt to reset their trawl net.

Today's engagement follows a direct action on Saturday, when Greenpeace forced the Ocean Star and Ocean Crest to stop fishing by placing swimmers in front of the boats and attaching large inflatable buoys to their net.

Greenpeace argues that Ben Bradshaw, the Fisheries Minister, has consistently failed to take the necessary measures to protect dolphins around the UK.

Sarah Duthie, Greenpeace oceans campaigner onboard the Esperanza, said: "These types of trawlers kill thousands of dolphins in the Channel every year. Yet Bradshaw refuses to lift a finger to do anything about it.

"This needless destruction of the dolphin population must stop, and because the government wont stop it, its up to us. Otherwise, there's a very real chance that dolphins will disappear altogether from the Channel."

Greenpeace's ship the Esperanza left Falmouth on the 17 February to campaign for a ban on pair trawling for sea bass in the Channel, a fishing method that could be responsible for the deaths of more than 2000 common dolphins every year. An independent team of researchers from the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) is on board to further assess the conservation and welfare threats to whale, dolphin and porpoise populations.

Greenpeace is concerned that government observers on UK sea bass trawlers last year recorded 169 dolphins killed in the huge net dragged between two boats. Government figures estimate that the UK fleet alone was responsible for the deaths of 439 dolphins last year. The UK and French fleets combined could be killing over 2000 dolphins a year.

Greenpeace want the government to investigate, which other fishing methods are also killing dolphins and porpoises and take action. Worldwide, the unintentional capture in fishing nets of dolphins, porpoises and other marine species is recognised to be a major problem. It is estimated to kill some 300,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises a year. Overall it has been estimated that 23% of the global fisheries catch is returned, dead, to the sea.

Further information
For more information please contact the Greenpeace press office on 020 7865.