SEPA advised Moray Council to let beached whale ‘decompose naturally’ on Lossiemouth West Beach
MORAY Council’s decision to not remove a 23-foot dead whale from Lossiemouth’s West Beach was backed by Scotland’s environment watchdog, it has been revealed.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) said they had advised the council after the carcass was reported on Tuesday.
Typically, the spokesperson added, the agency would ask for dead whales to be taken to landfill.
But given the location of the animal’s remains, it advised Moray Council that the best solution was to leave the whale to fully decompose.
The SEPA spokesperson said: “As per SEPA’s remit, we have advised the council on the disposal of the whale.
“Normally SEPA would require that the whale be disposed of to an authorised landfill.
“We do recognise that occasionally this is not possible, and work with the local authority to arrive at the best outcome.
“In this case, due to the location of the whale, SEPA agree that the best solution is to leave the whale and allow it to decompose naturally.”
Moray Council asked the public to stay away from the whale, and to keep dogs and children under control.
Following the news that the carcass would remain in situ during the summer holidays, readers criticised the decision and argued that it would affect Lossiemouth’s busy tourist season.
However, others said that spending cash on removing the animal was unjustifiable in the face of sweeping cuts to council education and health budgets.
