Fears over the future of North Sea dolphins despite numbers staying stable

THE population of bottlenose dolphins in the North Sea is still listed as vulnerable, according to conservationists. The sea off Scotland's east coast is home to about 200 bottlenose dolphins which draw around £4 million for the local tourist-driven economy. They are the world's most northerly bottlenose dolphins and the European Union (EU) has designated the Moray Firth as a special area of conservation (SAC) to protect the species. Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) must report on their condition every six years and an interim report ahead of the next full publication in 2018 indicates that the population has remained stable over the last quarter of a century. Photographs and markings on the dolphins' fins indicate 102 individuals used the SAC in summer 2011, rising to 112 in 2012 and falling to 94 in 2013. Long-term trends since 1990 indicate the numbers appear to be stable but the population is still considered to be vulnerable, SNH said. Morven Carruthers, from SNH's marine team, said: "Dolphins in the Moray Firth SAC have been the focus of intense research for many years now and over that time the numbers using the SAC appear to have remained stable. This is a tribute to the people, organisations and relevant authorities around the Moray Firth."