Marine mammal entanglement, or “by-catch,” is a global problem that results in the death of hundred of thousands of whales, dolphins, porpoises and seals every year. For large whales, the impact is typically not immediate as the animals can pull gear off the ocean floor and swim off with it.
Conservationists, Maas told The Dodo, have been notifying the New Zealand government for years that the dolphin was struggling for its survival. But like many storylines around endangered species, there’s a loop that inevitably takes place. “You go through these cycles where there’s denial of your findings by the detractors,” says Maas. “Then you produce evidence and scientific facts. And if you are lucky, you make incremental progress. And then the cycle starts again: denial, refusal, new evidence and incremental progress.”
Of the 30 cases last year, seven whales were disentangled and released free of lines, seven were found dead, two were observed to self-release and the remaining entangled whales had an unknown fate. Most recent entanglements have occurred with Dungeness crab gear, although lobster and spot prawn gear as well as gillnets have also been identified.
Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpted report from the Times Colonist, “Human discards mean slow torture for B.C.’s marine mammals.” Highlighted portions by Neptune 911. Marty Haulena positions himself atop a federal fisheries patrol boat, his CO2-powered dart rifle… Read More ›
WASHINGTON: Debris in the ocean, such as plastic and glass, has been having a life-threatening global impact on marine life. Nearly 700 species of marine animal have been recorded as having encountered man-made debris according to the most comprehensive impact… Read More ›
Editor’s Note: Humpback whales returning from their Mexican winter vacation have collided with Central California’s crabbing industry with the result of nearly a half-dozen whales entangled in crab traps and rigging. The whales returned earlier than normal–all while the crabbing… Read More ›
Highly endangered North Atlantic right whales number about 500 individuals. They’re so-named because their slow-moving, shore-hugging habits and tendency to float when dead made them the “right” whale to kill. They were hunted to near extinction by the early 1900s.
Yesterday a NOAA-led response team successfully freed an entangled humpback whale off Lahaina, Maui. This was a different animal than the ones reported on last week. The entangled subadult humpback whale was first seen and monitored by Pacific Whale Foundation’s… Read More ›
Neptune 911! 