DFO crew frees humpback whale calf tangled in fishing line near Ucluelet
Credit to Author: Ken Bradshaw| Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2019 15:13:59 +0000
A humpback whale calf caught up in fishing line and a float was set free by a Fisheries and Oceans Canada crew that spent six hours at the task.
The plight of the calf was reported by callers who saw it struggling Monday morning off Folger Island in Barkley Sound, near Ucluelet, said Fisheries spokeswoman Lara Sloan.
She said the calf, which was swimming with its mother, was attached to a small, orange scotsman — a type of float — and had several wraps of line around the base of its tail and its flukes.
Steps were taken to keep tabs on the whales.
“A [Fisheries] midshore patrol vessel and coast guard crew were quick to go out and deploy a satellite tag on the gear, and then stayed with the calf and mother until the marine-mammal rescue crew arrived.”
The crew is a Fisheries unit.
“The rescue crew spent six hours working to successfully disentangle the calf while the mother maintained a safe distance and didn’t interfere with the crew, which was remarkable,” Sloan said.
That sort of maternal behaviour is common. “We’ve had these before and the mothers often don’t interfere with the crew at all,” Sloan said. “They know what’s going on.”
Fisheries warned that marine litter, and especially fishing gear, can be a threat to the ocean and its animal life.
“To identify entangled marine mammals, look for buoys or lines trailing behind or wrapped over the animal,” Fisheries said in a statement. “If you see a stranded, injured or entangled whale, make sure that you report it.”
Concerns can be reported to the B.C. Marine Mammal Response Network at 1-800-465-4336 or on VHF Channel 16. For more information, go to http://ow.ly/96ky50w4RMM.
jwbell@timescolonist.com