Update 9 September 2020: Unfortunately, corona forced the organisation to postpone this study day to the autumn of 2021. We will inform you as soon as possible about the new date.
This year, the Continental Shelf Service of the FPS Economy is again organizing a study day on sand extraction in the Belgian part of the North Sea.
We look forward to welcome you on Friday 20 November 2020 at our study day “A 360° perspective on sea sand” in the Zwin Nature Park in Knokke-Heist.
In the morning, we will discuss the results of the monitoring and some innovations, as well as the new reference level for sand extraction and the impact of the Marine Spatial Plan 2020-2026. In the afternoon, recycling of sea sand and possible alternatives are considered. We conclude with the applications of sea sand in the industry and in the context of coastal safety.
A new report has been published (only available in Dutchand French) with information on strandings and sightings of marine mammals in Belgium in 2019. Also some remarkable fish and the observations of sea turtles in our waters are discussed. Furthermore, the report contains information about marine mammals in exhibitions and the excavation of Sperm Whale Valentine in Koksijde.
The Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) has been responsible for coordinating research into the strandings and cause of death of marine mammals in Belgium since the early 1990s. Information on observations at sea is also collected. With the collaboration of SEALIFE Blankenberge and the Universities of Liège and Ghent, RBINS has, as it does every year, brought together the available data in a report.
Relatively Few Strandings of Harbour Porpoises
In 2019 51 harbour porpoises washed ashore: a low number compared to previous years. More than half of these animals were in a far state of decomposition, and often the cause of death could no longer be determined. Four porpoises had ended their lives as bycatch, four others as a result of predation by a grey seal. The estimated density of harbour porpoises at sea in June and August was about the average of previous years. The only other cetacean found stranded was a highly decomposed common dolphin.
Like last year, a solitary, social bottlenose dolphin was present for months in the area bordering French waters. In addition, a group of bottlenose dolphins was observed twice. More exceptional were the sightings of a humpback and a minke whale.
More Seals and Strange Guests
The presence of seals on our coast is still on the rise; in the port of Nieuwpoort there is now a permanent resting place which is often used by more than 10 harbour seals. Grey seals also seem to be becoming more common. This translates into increasing numbers of dead and dying seals on the beach: 47, the highest number ever recorded. SeaLife took care of 11 Grey and 15 Common Seals.
In 2019, two leatherback turtles and some sunfish were observed. Their presence was possibly related to an unusual influx of Atlantic water. The exact species to which a stranded sunfish belonged is still under investigation.
Marine Mammals in Expositions
Marine mammals are very popular: some temporary or permanent exhibitions were opened in 2019, and the skeleton of a sperm whale that was washed ashore in 1989 was excavated with the aim of preparing and exhibiting it.
Finally, the report also contains editorials on underwater noise and porpoises, the international dimension of marine mammal research, some well-known seals in Nieuwpoort, and extreme fluctuations in the weight of seals.
For information about recent sightings of marine mammals in Belgium and instructions on what to do when stranded, please visit the website marinemammals.be. The complete report for 2019, as well as the older marine mammal reports, can be consulted here.
Codevco V BV has submitted an application for the authorization and permit for the construction and operation of a seafood farm in the Belgian part of the North Sea, and has applied for an authorization to carry out a geotechnical and geophysical survey during the preparatory phase. This application is subject to an environmental impact assessment procedure.
The application, the non-technical summary, the environmental impact statement and a concept of the appropriate assessment can be consulted from 9 May to 7 June 2020 at the offices of MUMM at Brussels (Vautierstraat 29, 1000 Brussels; mdevolder@naturalsciences.be; tel 02/627 43 52) or at Ostend (3de en 23ste Linieregimentsplein, 8400 Ostend; jhaelters@naturalsciences.be; tel. 059/24 20 55), by appointment only and during office hours between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm, and depending on the prevailing measures imposed by the government with regard to Covid-19. The application can also be consulted at every coastal community, during office hours. The list of locations and corresponding contact details can be found here: Coastal_Communities_2020.
Big surprise on Sunday 10 November in one of the wind farms in the Belgian part of the North Sea: maintenance technicians observe a whale and can make a short video before the animal disappears under water. The images are delivered to RBINS: it turns out to be a minke whale. A rarity of which only five other cases from Belgian waters are known from the past 20 years. Only two of these earlier cases concerned live animals.
On Sunday 10 November, maintenance technicians were left stunned when they saw nothing less than a whale swimming past a wind turbine. The observation took place in the Norther concession zone, about 23 km from the port of Zeebrugge. Kenny De Groote succeeded in making a short video, which was sent to scientists of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences for documentation.
« The images unmistakably show a rorqual, and the short fragment is fortunately of sufficient quality to identify the animal as a minke whale. » says Kelle Moreau, who was the first to receive the images and forward them to his colleagues. « Based on the overall impression of size and shape of the animal, and especially because of the extensive white zones at the base of the pectoral fins (flippers), I immediately thought of a minke whale » adds Jan Haelters, marine mammal expert from RBINS. « The shape and location of the dorsal fin, and the presence of a lighter zone behind the pectoral fins (the so-called « chevron »), also contribute to the identification that was confirmed by several consulted experts. »
Adult minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) reach a maximum size of 9 to 11 meters, with females becoming slightly larger than males. The minke whale is one of the smaller species of baleen whales, and is not considered a rare or endangered species.
Although the minke whale is part of the fauna of the North Sea, its range is mainly limited to its northern and central part. The species is rarely found south of the Dogger Bank. However, research has shown that minke whales more often occur more to the south in recent years, probably as a result of changes in the ecosystem. From the Belgian waters, only the following cases are known to us from the last 20 years:
2004: found dead at sea and landed; victim of by-catch
2013: stranding; died by swallowing a large amount of plastic
2013: observation at sea
2017: decomposed carcass at sea
2017: observation at sea
The skeleton of the minke whale from 2004 (owned by RBINS) can currently be admired in the permanent exhibition ‘Sea Change’ in the Provincial Visitor Centre Duinpanne in De Panne.
