Whale stranding protocol under development

A ‘Whale Stranding’ protocol is being drawn up by Orkney Islands Council to support the local authority and its partners in responding to such incidents.

In the last two years the Council has supported the response to two mass strandings in Sanday - 77 whales at Tresness in July 2024 and 23 whales at Roos earlier this month. 

There have also been smaller strandings on other islands including North Ronaldsay and Papay.

The protocol – thought to be the first in Scotland – will set out a procedure for how stranded whales should be dealt with, the decision-making process around this and the roles played by the various organisations involved. 

A significant number of agencies and stakeholders are involved in formulating a response to a stranding including Orkney Islands Council, NatureScot, Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), International Whaling Commission Strandings Initiative (IWC Strandings Initiative), Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme (SMASS), NHS Orkney Public Health, local elected members and community representatives, residents in the area and the landowners of the site.

Strandings can be commonplace, but in circumstance where mass stranding incidents occur, these  present  unique sets of challenges for those responding to the incident – with an ultimate decision on what to do with the whale carcasses dependent on several factors.  

In the case of the Tresness stranding (July 2024) these whales were buried on land some way from the stranding site, whilst for the Roos stranding (August 2025) it was more appropriate that these whales be left in the environment to allow nature to take its course.

The protocol will cover a variety of issues including roles and responsibilities, community considerations, disposal options, landowner duties and communication and media.

Hayley Green is Corporate Director for Infrastructure and Organisational Development.  She said: “Formulating this protocol has of course been an offshoot of the two recent incidents but it's also a community driven thing, and very much reflects the learning we have done between us.  

“Every stranding we've dealt over the years has its own circumstances which means we’re learning and developing that response all the time

“There's a number of organisations and Statutory Agencies involved and it's about bringing all that expertise, knowledge, advice and skills together and making sure that we're working in the most respectful and effective way to come up with the best solution in what can be very emotive and upsetting circumstances.”

Tom Hadley Orkney Area Coordinator for British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) says “Mass strandings are inherently complex incidents that demand a coordinated, multi-partnership response. In Orkney, this is further complicated by the unique geography of the archipelago, which often means we rely even more heavily on our communities and partner organisations to respond effectively to rapidly evolving situations. It’s been a real positive to work alongside Orkney Islands Council and contribute to the development of this protocol, which I believe will strengthen our collective ability to respond even more efficiently in the future.”

Work on the protocol is continuing, and it is hoped to have a document published in due course