English - Caribbean Environment Programme

A recent survey of an area north east of the Dogger Bank in May recorded high relative densitiesof minke whales along the bank slope during spring, where they were often observed foraging andassociating with foraging seabirds 327 . The Dogger Bank is a large sand bank where at times, a frontdevelops which is characterised by relatively high primary productivity, particularly during May andthe summer months 328 . The Bank is sandeel habitat and the area supports a significant sandeelfishery during the spring. It is suggested that at certain times of the year, increased primaryproductivity results in an increased availability of sandeels to foraging minke whales 329 .Aerial surveys for harbour porpoises over the section of the Dogger Bank in German watersrecorded minke whales and white-beaked dolphins in the area although encounter rates anddensities were not calculated for these non-target species 330 .Irish SeaSightings are generally lower for the Irish Sea than north and east of the UK. One review identifiedthe western side, south of the Isle of Man, as being the location of most sightings 331 and bycomparison, sightings in Liverpool Bay and Cardigan Bay seem to be a rare event 332 . SCANS IIrecorded one of the highest densities anywhere for the UK and Ireland in the Irish Sea(Figure 4.19, p.40) although modelling of the data did not highlight any particular areas withinthis sector (Figure 4.20, p.40).St. George's Channel, the Celtic Sea and the English ChannelBoth SCANS and SCANS II recorded low densities overall for these areas (see Figures 4.17, p.39and 4.19, p.40). However, modelling of the SCANS II data predicted an area of higher density offsouth west England, in the western part of the Channel (see Figure 4.20, p.40). Sightings fromferries travelling from the south coast of England to Bilbao tend to record minke whales in thewestern section of the Channel, and mainly from July to September 333 . Generally though, minkewhales are thought to be uncommon in the eastern English Channel and southern North Sea 334 .The Celtic Deep to the south of the St. George's Channel has been highlighted as an area ofrelatively high densities of minke whales during the summer months, along with several othercetacean species 335 . This is an area where surface and bottom fronts develop over the summer 336 .Increases in prey abundance are the most likely explanation of the observed high sightings ratesof minke whales.327De Boer, 2010328De Boer, 2010, and references within;329De Boer, 2010330Gilles et al, 2008 (in Evans et al, 2008)331Evans et al, 2003332Evans and Anderwald, 2005; Reid et al, 2003333MacLeod et al, 2007334Reid et al, 2003; Van der Meij and Camphuysen, 2006335Baines and Evans, 2009; Rosen et al, 2000336Brown et al, 200344