A strange thing happened to me
In the winter of 92/93
As well as studying fleas and mites
With other kinds of parasites
But more particularly clams and snails,
I was recording deaths of whales.
We knew there were far more of them
From stranding data at NHM
At first there was little interest shown
But when it became more widely known
That fishery bycatch was the cause
Attempts were made to change fish laws
People performed heroic acts
So autopsies could check the facts
The media gave much publicity
As did BMDLR and CWT
Plus WWF, RSPCA, Greenpeace,
WDCS, MC, MCS and some MPs,
And all of you and NJCT
But especially fearless Lindy.
With this much both done and said
Don’t forget the central vets at IOZ
With DEFRA after DoE
Funding every autopsy.
For five years I was kept afloat
In my land-based, desktop boat
By CBRU with PET
Then six years with Tricia at CWT

Stella M Turk MBE

2004

Stellas notes:

Key to the initials

BDMLR = British Divers Marine Life Rescue
CWT = Cornwall Wildlife Trust
IoZ = Institute of Zoology
WDCS = Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society
WWF = World Wildlife Fund
Lindy = Lindy Hingley
MC = Marine Connection
MCS = Marine Conservation Society
NHM= Natural History Museum
NJCT = Nick Tregenza
PET = Pamela E. Tompsett
RSPCA = Royal Society for the Protection of Animals
CBRU = Cornish Biological records Centre

 

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