A new report published today by The Wildlife Trusts highlights the growing risks to whales, dolphins and porpoises in UK waters and outlines the priority actions needed to tackle them, particularly in the species’ hotspot of the North Sea.
The report, Priority Actions for North Sea Cetaceans 2026, finds that while large parts of UK seas are designated as protected, these legal safeguards are in many places too weak, poorly enforced, or fail to keep pace with emerging threats to whale, dolphin and porpoise populations in UK waters.
As the largest non-governmental organisation working in marine conservation in the UK, The Wildlife Trusts warn that the biggest threats – including getting caught in fishing gear and disturbance from noisy human activity – are not being tackled fast enough.
As a result, The Wildlife Trusts are calling for the UK Government to:
- Improve enforcement and management of existing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
- Protect key feeding areas that support whales, dolphins and porpoises.
- Reduce accidental bycatch in fishing gear by phasing out the most harmful nets and testing safer alternatives.
- Create a UK plan to reduce underwater noise from both shipping and marine development with clear limits to protect sea wildlife.
- Improve monitoring of whales, dolphins and porpoises using more surveys, better technology, and citizen science.
Ruth Williams, head of marine conservation at The Wildlife Trusts says: “Our report reveals that action to protect dolphins, porpoises and whales is wholly inadequate. Simply designating areas as protected sites is not enough; what is needed now is real action if whales, dolphins and porpoises are to flourish in our waters once more.
“That means managing our existing Marine Protected Areas, including those in the North Sea, more effectively to reduce the most harmful fishing practices, cut underwater noise from ships and offshore developments, better protect important feeding areas, and improve how we monitor these animals. If governments and industries act on the evidence already available, we can quickly reduce harm and give North Sea cetaceans a real chance to recover. However, without faster, clearer action, the UK risks falling further behind in protecting some of its best-loved marine species.”
The greater North Sea marine region supports at least eight different species of whales, dolphins and porpoises, with a further seven recorded on an occasional basis – all of which play an intrinsic role in maintaining the health of the marine ecosystem. The most commonly recorded species in this area include harbour porpoises, white-beaked dolphins and minke whales.
Some of the most important feeding grounds for whales and dolphins are found in this area, including Dogger Bank, a large sandbank in the North Sea off England’s east coast, and the waters off Flamborough Head, an 8-mile-long chalk headland on the Yorkshire coast. Despite the importance of these habitats, they remain exposed to intensive human activity including fishing and development.
One of the greatest threats to whales and dolphins is accidental entanglement in fishing gear which causes hundreds of avoidable deaths each year. Noise from shipping and offshore development also disrupts whales and dolphins, affecting their ability to feed, navigate and communicate.
In highlighting these combined threats, the report calls for targeted measures in these hotspots, including temporary fishing restrictions during key seasons, adjustments to shipping routes and limits on noisy activities. The report also urges the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to lead the development of a clear national plan to reduce underwater noise, and trials of safer, more selective fishing methods including deterrent devices.
Despite the UK Government’s new Cetacean Conservation Strategy, published in December 2025, which committed to protecting the 28 species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises found in UK seas, and concerns previously raised by the House of Commons’ Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, The Wildlife Trusts’ new report highlights how there are no clear targets or deadlines for Government action.
With significant gaps in knowledge about the seasonal distribution of cetaceans and the full impact of threats to their populations, The Wildlife Trusts argue that increased surveys, better use of technology, and stronger support for citizen science will also be critical to improving understanding and action to benefit these much-loved marine creatures.
Read the report, Priority Actions for North Sea Cetaceans 2026, here: Priority_Actions_for_North_Sea_Cetaceans_2026.pdf
