Officials trying to find the whale so that gear can be removed
Carla Wilsonabout 10 hours ago
A grey whale has been spotted in Clayoquot Sound tangled in fishing gear.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada officials, including researchers, are looking for the whale, along with the whale-watching industry and other boaters, all hoping to save the big animal from drowning.
A buoy has been seen next to the whale’s body and a thick line was wrapped around the animal, DFO marine mammal co-ordinator Paul Cottrell said Friday.
“We are not sure if it goes through the mouth or how it is attached,” said Cottrell, who headed to Tofino on Friday with a team trained in removing gear from whales.
Anyone who sees the whale is asked to call the 24-7 marine mammal incident hotline at 1-800-465-4336.
If the whale remains tangled in the gear, it could be a death sentence for the animal, Cottrell said.
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“The problem with the animal towing that gear round is if it runs into more gear, it is going to hook up with that gear and so on.
“It becomes a vicious cycle and it’ll be a lot of drag. It can catch on the bottom and anchor the animal and potentially drown it.”
The whale was first spotted on Thursday afternoon in the Clayoquot Sound area but could not be found when boaters went out later.
At this time of year, there are many grey whales foraging off B.C.’s coast. Some, about 300 to 400, are part of a local population, while thousands of others are moving from Mexico to the Bering Sea and north to the Chukchi Sea.
Migrating whales will often forage in shallow waters on their way north.
It’s not known which population this whale belongs to.
The high number of grey whales in the area makes it more difficult to find the one tangled in fishing gear, Cottrell said.
When removing gear from whales, rescuers remain in a boat, using long aluminum or carbon fibre poles with cutting devices at the end. Drones are used to evaluate where the gear is and how best to remove it.
Rescuers do not get in the water because it is too dangerous if such a massive animal moved.
Gear-removal is often successful, said Cottrell. He said he’s been involved with 60 to 70 cases.
On Thursday, he was at Delta Port on the Lower Mainland to remove gear from a Stellar sea lion that had climbed onto a big mooring buoy.
Another grey whale tangled in fishing year was seen a week and a half ago in the harbour at Prince Rupert. It hasn’t been seen since, but Cottrell has notified Alaskan officials.
When whales are found in this situation, Cottrell said the goal is to attach satellite tags to the animal so it can be tracked.
cjwilson@timescolonist.com
Exposing the Big Game 
Reblogged this on Committee to Abolish Sport Hunting Blog.
Commercial fishing gear needs to be updated to the newer designs that do not entangle wildlife.