Historic First Sentence — For Speedboat Driver Who “Corralled” Dolphins
On the 9 thof July 2021, Christopher Barker, 45, from Brompton-By- Saward, North Yorkshire, was seen driving his speed boat, disturbing a pod of bottlenose dolphins feeding near the shore of Scarborough’s South Bay.
This led to an investigation by North Yorkshire Police resulted in Barker being charged with the intention of or carelessly disturbing a dolphin which is an offense under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Barker pleaded guilty on the 9 thof June 2022 and subsequently had to pay a two-hundred-pound fine plus a victim surcharge fee and prosecution costs bringing the overall total to three hundred and four pounds.
“Dolphins are an intelligent, social species, often living in large communal groups. Over recent years sightings of dolphins off the Yorkshire coast have increased dramatically, proving popular with locals and tourists alike. But this has also led to an increased risk of human interference”, said, PC Graham Bilton, Wildlife Crime Officer for North Yorkshire Police, who investigated the case.
In addition, Bilton added;
“Cetaceans such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises are especially susceptible to disturbance, both physically and acoustically, and are legally protected here in the UK.
I urge all boat and watercraft operators to act responsibly and respect the marine environment. We are extremely lucky in North Yorkshire to have such diverse wildlife. It’s important that we enjoy, protect, and live alongside it.
North Yorkshire Police is committed to investigating offences which have a detrimental effect on our wildlife, and I hope that this prosecution underlines that message.”
Working in collaboration with North Yorkshire Police were other agencies including, RSPCA Operation Seabird, and the Crown Prosecution Service. Enabled a successful partnership that achieved the desired result for all involved.
Geoff Edmond, RSPCA Inspectorate National Wildlife Coordinator, said,
“This was clearly unacceptable behaviour, and combined determination to investigate the dolphin disturbance, in this case, has been achieved with the help from the members of the public who witnessed this incident and who were themselves very concerned about what they saw taking place.”
The successful outcome in North Yorkshire, however, is not something that has been reflected throughout England and Wales. In New Quay Bay, West Wales within Cardigan Bay Special Area of Conservation, the bottlenose dolphin population are under considerable threat from speed/motorboats. Research revealed earlier this year that eighteen to twenty-nine percent of recreational vessels have been ignoring the voluntary code of conduct in place to protect marine mammals. The impact of boat traffic on bottlenose dolphins can include death, injury, breeding success, and behaviour changes, for instance, increasing diving intervals.
Historically this case is significantly important because it is the first time that someone has been prosecuted for distressing dolphins. It sets a positive precedent and deterrent.
Originally published at http://theuntamedbeast.uk on June 27, 2022.
