Seas off Cork a 'marine desert' due to overfishing of sprat, says owner of whale-watching business

Skipper Colin Barnes said the whales have left his search area of ocean off Cork because the sprat they feed on has been fished to near extinction

Humpback whale: 'It’s devastating to see what were once rich fishing grounds become so barren because of the unregulated fishing of keystone species like sprat by just a handful of trawlers.'
Pictures: Pádraig Whooley/ Cork Whale Watch

Government apathy and inaction towards fish conservation has led to parts of the ocean becoming lifeless marine deserts, a respected whale watching expert has said.

Skipper Colin Barnes, who has spent more than half a century monitoring Irish waters and who gave up commercial fishing in 2001 to set up one of Ireland’s first whale-watching businesses, said the whales have left his search area of ocean off Cork because the sprat they feed on has been fished to near extinction in that area.