Ellie MacLennan

• Master of Science
• PhD Student at University of Glasgow

Entanglement in ropes associated with static fishing gear (pots/traps/creels) is a welfare and conservation concern for minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata), humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus), and other megafauna in Scottish waters. The Scottish Entanglement Alliance estimated that six humpback whale...

Entanglement in static fishing gear (pots, or creels as they are called in Scottish fisheries) is a major cause of anthropogenic mortality and morbidity in large whales globally; in Northeast Atlantic waters around the coasts of Scotland, entanglement is a particular welfare and conservation concern for minke whales Balaenoptera acutorostrata and h...

Key points Interviews with 159 creel fishers (representing approximately 11% of the commercial fleet) revealed that almost half had experienced at least one entanglement between 2008 – 2018, with a total of 146 entanglements reported involving at least 12 species of cetacean, shark and turtle. Factors which appeared to be influential in entanglemen...

Proceedings report for the 2020 SMASS/WDC Marine Forum. On the 29th of February, the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) and Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) held the third Marine Forum at the Centre for Health Science in Inverness. A total of 150 people attended the one-day knowledge exchange event, which was packed with fascinatin...

On the 29th of February, the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme (SMASS) and Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) held the third Marine Forum at the Centre for Health Science in Inverness. A total of 150 people attended the one-day knowledge exchange event, which was packed with fascinating talks, workshops, discussions, and opportunities to ne...

Entanglement in static fishing gear has been identified as the largest anthropogenic cause of mortality in minke (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Scottish waters, and is of increasing concern from both a welfare and conservation perspective. However a thorough understanding of the scale and impacts of the...