INVESTIGATION OF CETACEAN STRANDINGS AROUND THE UK COAST

The principal requirement of this project is to provide a coordinated approach to surveillance of cetacean strandings and to investigate causes of death of stranded cetaceans, and occasionally other vulnerable species such as turtles and basking sharks in the UK for a 3 year period from May 2017 until July 2020. This project has the following aims:

• To collect/collate, analyse and report data for all cetacean strandings around the coast of the UK;

• To determine the causes of death in stranded cetaceans, including by-catch and physical trauma, in order to identify risk in relation to pressures and any significant changes in causes of death within species and to detect substantial new threats to their conservation status

• To undertake surveillance on the incidence of disease in stranded cetaceans in order to identify any substantial new threats to their conservation status;

• To investigate the potential interaction between feeding behaviour, fisheries and stranded cetaceans through examination of the contents of the stomach; to investigate prey (possibly identify prey from otoliths) and to also record any evidence of 'litter'.

• Maintain the cetacean stranding investigation project (CSIP) database which brings together accurate and geo-referenced data on both strandings and post mortem. The database will be searchable through the CSIP website.

• To make information on strandings and post-mortems results available to the Department and Devolved Administrations through a light touch quarterly reports and publicly available by annual reports, as well as publicising the open access to data and samples collected and stored through the project.

• To establish, improve and maintain relationships with international peer projects, regional volunteer networks local authorities and other stakeholders who may support the achievement of project objectives

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