A four-day operation off British Columbia's North Coast has successfully freed a humpback whale that was entangled in fishing gear in the Hecate Strait.
Paul Cottrell, marine mammal coordinator for Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), was in Prince Rupert performing a necropsy on a deceased fin whale when he was notified about the trapped humpback whale. "Our entire team was there with all the equipment, so we headed out with a satellite tag and managed to locate the whale," Cottrell told CBC's Radio West.
The team found the humpback wrapped in a complex network of fishing gear. Cottrell, who has significant experience with whale rescues, said it was unlike anything he'd seen before. "The animal couldn't even open its mouth due to the entanglement and body wraps."
Over 50 rope cuts were made to free the 11-metre whale, which Cottrell estimates had been entangled for several months. Without the rescue effort, the whale’s fate would have been grim.
Unfortunately, the news wasn’t all positive. A 20-metre fin whale found in Prince Rupert Harbour did not survive. The initial necropsy suggests that blunt force trauma may have been the cause of death, though further investigation is needed.
The number of whales entangled in fishing gear is rising, with data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showing a significant increase. Between 1982 and 2013, there was an average of 10 reports per year of entangled humpback and grey whales along the U.S. West Coast. However, that number jumped to 50 annually between 2014 and 2017.
Increased marine traffic in northern B.C. poses additional risks to whales, according to Janie Wray, CEO of B.C. Whales, a nonprofit that researches cetaceans in the region. She voiced concern about the impact of the LNG Canada project, which is constructing a large liquefied natural gas terminal in Kitimat. This project is expected to significantly boost tanker traffic through waters used by the Gitga'at First Nation.
"We believe the relatively low vessel traffic in the region is a key factor for the high abundance of humpback and fin whales here. Once these large tankers begin frequenting the area, things could change drastically for these whales," Wray warned.
In response, LNG Canada emphasized their commitment to marine safety. In a July interview with CBC News, corporate relations vice-president Teresa Waddington said, "Marine safety is our top priority." She assured that vessels will adhere to speed restrictions, limiting them to 10 knots (around 18 km/h) through the narrow Douglas Channel. Only one ship will be allowed to pass through the channel at a time.
Additionally, Waddington highlighted the experience of the mariners who will be guiding the ships. "These mariners are local and know the waterways extremely well. They’ll help ensure the safe navigation of vessels between the ocean and LNG’s loading facility," she said.
Source: CBC News (Sept 11, 2024). Whale killed, another rescued off B.C.'s North Coast: DFO. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/fin-humpback-whale-killed-rescued-bc-1.7319740
Picture from Fisheries and Oceans Canada
