Apperloo
07-08-2008, 10:10 PM
West Coast search is on for young whale caught in nets
'The long-term risks are fairly severe ... It will take our involvement'
Judith Lavoie, Canwest News Service
Published: Tuesday, July 08, 2008
VICTORIA - A cross-border effort is underway to save a young humpback whale entangled in crab lines.
The whale was first spotted off Tofino in May, but took off before rescuers could reach it. The animal was next seen in June near Trial Island, off Victoria, and, this weekend, was off the coast of Washington where Olympia-based Cascadia Research tried but failed to remove the lines which are tied around its left pectoral fin and its mouth.
The whale, which is not swimming with its mother, was last seen heading for the ocean east of Clallam Bay and members of the Canadian and U.S. public are being asked to report any sightings, in hopes of getting a rescue team and specialized equipment into the area.
In June, volunteer rescuers freed a young humpback entangled in fishing gear near Clayoquot Sound, B.C. The whale was exhausted but swam away after the ropes were cut.
Handout/John Forde
"The long-term risks are fairly severe. It's a small, young animal and its growth will be restricted," said John Calambokidis, Cascadia Research director. "It is very firmly entangled. It's not going to be able to pull out of this on its own. It will take our involvement."
In a bizarre twist, the Cascadia group managed to attach marker buoys and a radio transmitter to the whale, which would have allowed rescue crews to resume the operation the next day, but, on Saturday night, a group of fishermen cut the buoys off the whale. The buoys were trailing behind the whale but the fishermen didn't get close enough to cut the actual net.
"They thought they were helping," Calambokidis said gloomily.
The buoys included a cutting device that, with pressure, may eventually have cut one of the main lines.
Now, the hunt is on for the calf and U.S. organizations have contacted the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society in Tofino hoping to pool information.
"Getting the people, the gear and the whale in the same place is quite a challenge," Calambokidis said. "But, we came extremely close to success this weekend."
Rod Palm, Strawberry Isle principal investigator, said the gear entangled around the whale appears to have come from the Columbia River area.
It is difficult to stage an effective rescue until the whale is tired from dragging the ropes and crab traps, he said.
"We have flying grapnels we throw to grab on to the line, but the whale has to be pretty worn out before you can do too much," he said.
The whale is covering a lot of ground and, ideally, there should be trained whale rescue teams, with special equipment, all along the coast, Palm said.
In June, volunteer rescuers freed a young humpback entangled in fishing gear near Clayoquot Sound. The whale was exhausted and apparently near death, but swam away after the ropes were cut.
As the number of North Pacific humpbacks increases, at the same time as growing numbers of humans are using the waters, entanglements are becoming more common, said Susan Berta of Orca Network.
"It's a very difficult thing and it's distressing to hear this whale is heading towards open ocean. We are hoping it will come back into more protected waters," she said.
North Pacific humpbacks are listed as threatened in Canada. The latest study put the overall numbers at between 18,000 and 20,000.
'The long-term risks are fairly severe ... It will take our involvement'
Judith Lavoie, Canwest News Service
Published: Tuesday, July 08, 2008
VICTORIA - A cross-border effort is underway to save a young humpback whale entangled in crab lines.
The whale was first spotted off Tofino in May, but took off before rescuers could reach it. The animal was next seen in June near Trial Island, off Victoria, and, this weekend, was off the coast of Washington where Olympia-based Cascadia Research tried but failed to remove the lines which are tied around its left pectoral fin and its mouth.
The whale, which is not swimming with its mother, was last seen heading for the ocean east of Clallam Bay and members of the Canadian and U.S. public are being asked to report any sightings, in hopes of getting a rescue team and specialized equipment into the area.
In June, volunteer rescuers freed a young humpback entangled in fishing gear near Clayoquot Sound, B.C. The whale was exhausted but swam away after the ropes were cut.
Handout/John Forde
"The long-term risks are fairly severe. It's a small, young animal and its growth will be restricted," said John Calambokidis, Cascadia Research director. "It is very firmly entangled. It's not going to be able to pull out of this on its own. It will take our involvement."
In a bizarre twist, the Cascadia group managed to attach marker buoys and a radio transmitter to the whale, which would have allowed rescue crews to resume the operation the next day, but, on Saturday night, a group of fishermen cut the buoys off the whale. The buoys were trailing behind the whale but the fishermen didn't get close enough to cut the actual net.
"They thought they were helping," Calambokidis said gloomily.
The buoys included a cutting device that, with pressure, may eventually have cut one of the main lines.
Now, the hunt is on for the calf and U.S. organizations have contacted the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society in Tofino hoping to pool information.
"Getting the people, the gear and the whale in the same place is quite a challenge," Calambokidis said. "But, we came extremely close to success this weekend."
Rod Palm, Strawberry Isle principal investigator, said the gear entangled around the whale appears to have come from the Columbia River area.
It is difficult to stage an effective rescue until the whale is tired from dragging the ropes and crab traps, he said.
"We have flying grapnels we throw to grab on to the line, but the whale has to be pretty worn out before you can do too much," he said.
The whale is covering a lot of ground and, ideally, there should be trained whale rescue teams, with special equipment, all along the coast, Palm said.
In June, volunteer rescuers freed a young humpback entangled in fishing gear near Clayoquot Sound. The whale was exhausted and apparently near death, but swam away after the ropes were cut.
As the number of North Pacific humpbacks increases, at the same time as growing numbers of humans are using the waters, entanglements are becoming more common, said Susan Berta of Orca Network.
"It's a very difficult thing and it's distressing to hear this whale is heading towards open ocean. We are hoping it will come back into more protected waters," she said.
North Pacific humpbacks are listed as threatened in Canada. The latest study put the overall numbers at between 18,000 and 20,000.