An unexpected increase in humpback whales in B.C.’s coastal waters this year has resulted in a record number of entanglements in nets, lines, traps and related commercial fishing gear.
Paul Cottrell, marine mammal coordinator with the federal fisheries department, has received reports of a record 22 whale entanglements in the province so far this year, including 21 humpbacks and one grey whale. In a typical year there are 10 to 15.
“It’s a very unfortunate series of incidents,” Cottrell said Thursday. “We’re interested in investigating to find out what happened and what can be done to prevent it going forward.”
Humpbacks have been recovering steadily since the era of commercial whaling but have been observed in unusually high numbers off B.C. this year. They are also staying longer before migrating to breeding and calving grounds in Hawaii and Mexico.
“It’s amazing the number of humpbacks we’re seeing in inshore waters,” Cottrell said. “Southern Alaska is seeing a lot fewer humpbacks this year so they may have shifted to our area. Their entanglements are drastically down.”
Related
On Nov. 25, a humpback whale died after breaking through the predator net at Grieg Seafood’s Atrevida salmon farm in Muchalat Inlet, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The case remains under investigation.
Another humpback was found dead Nov. 15 at Marine Harvest’s inactive Lime Point salmon farm near Klemtu, barely two months after a whale was successfully disentangled at the same site, on Sept. 12.
“It took about six hours,” Cottrell said of the rescue. “We were patient and were able to cut that whale free.”
Cottrell said that the salmon pens had been removed from the Lime Point site, but that anchor lines remained and became caught in the whale’s mouth. The operator met federal officials in October to discuss removal of the lines but the action came too late for the next whale.
Fisheries officers help free a juvenile male humpback that had become entangled in prawn traps off the central B.C. coast in June 2009.
Rescue crews have successfully removed gear from a total of six whales this year, Cottrell said. The fate of the others is unknown. Typically, whales become ensnared in a wide variety of commercial fishing gear, including prawn and crab traps, and gillnets.
Cottrell said some of the gear found on whales in B.C. waters originated in Washington state, evidence of the international nature of the problem. By recording the types of gear and locations, officials can begin to address the problem.
Anyone who see an entangled whale is urged to call the marine mammal distress line, toll free at 1-800-465-4336.
Cottrell noted that any vertical or horizontal line is a potential threat to whales. “We’re never going to totally stop it,” he said.
While humpbacks are a threatened species in Canada, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada has recommended their status be downgraded to a species of special concern. An estimated 20,000 exist in the North Pacific.
CLICK HERE to report a typo.
Is there more to this story? We’d like to hear from you about this or any other stories you think we should know about. Email vantips@postmedia.com.
