Experts stunned by astonishing discoveries off the coast of England: 'Things can be different'

Yahoo

24-02-2025

With its close proximity to several industrial nations and access to the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea is one of the most productive but pressured bodies of water on the planet. Overfishing and oil and gas exploration caused a 97% loss of biomass between the 1950s and 1980s, but the North Sea's marine life is making an astonishing comeback.
"The wonderful thing about nature is that it can recover pretty quickly if you give it the chance," Tony Juniper, chair of Natural England, told The Guardian.
Observers have seen a marked increase in the number of bottlenose dolphins, gray seals, and minke whales off the coast of England. Experts credit this improvement to conservation legislation and the decline of oil and gas production in the North Sea. The Scottish government banned commercial fishing for sandeel in all its waters, and England has prohibited sandeel fishing in its North Sea waters. The sandeel is a small fish that is a vital food source for Britain's seabirds.
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"Closing UK waters to sandeel fishing has provided a lifeline for marine life across the North Sea and demonstrates global leadership in tackling climate and nature crises," Gareth Cunningham, director of conservation and policy at the Marine Conservation Society, told Oceanographic. Since its peak in the late 1990s, North Sea oil production has fallen sharply as offshore wind farms gain momentum.
The successes underline the importance of international cooperation and a long-term approach to conservation. Biodiversity is critical to maintaining healthy ecosystems, and local, community-led efforts are crucial to these efforts. It's also important to note that every step forward has to be protected. The sandeel fishing ban in the United Kingdom faces a challenge from the European Union. Denmark holds 90% of the EU fishing quota for sandeels and wants to reverse the legislation even though Britain is no longer part of the EU.
Kirsten Carter, head of U.K. marine policy with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, expressed hope that the days of abundant marine life in the North Sea could return, saying: "Currently, everyone gets excited when we see one whale, a few dolphins. … Seeing things in mass numbers is something that we've lost. We normalise what we are seeing now. But things can be different."
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