Fin whales have not returned to the Bay of Biscay in their usual high numbers this year raising fears over the state of the fish stocks they feed on. Far fewer fin whales have been spotted in the Bay of Biscay this year. Photo: PÁDRAIG WHOOLEY

Conservationists monitoring the animals’ annual migration into Biscay said the second largest whale on the planet had not appeared in large numbers this summer. While small numbers of fin whales arrived in the Bay as usual in May in the first phase of the migration, numbers turning up in July and August were far lower than in previous years, research charities Marinelife and Orca said. Marinelife chairman Clive Martin said that on return ferry crossings from Portsmouth to Bilbao observers were spotting fewer than five whales, compared to the 50 to 100 animals they would normally see at this time of year. The absence of the fin whales has raised concerns that the Bay of Biscay, an important feeding ground for them, has suffered losses in fish stocks due to over-fishing or disturbances to the ecosystem because of climate change. … In 2007, Marinelife’s Biscay Dolphin Research Programme (BDRP) raised concerns about low numbers of dolphins in Biscay – which coincided with the continued failure of the anchovy fishery in the area. Marinelife said the fishery was still in a state of collapse. …

Fewer fin whales spotted in Biscay prompting fears for fish stocks