DFO looking for a tangled North Atlantic right whale spotted off NB coast

MISCOU ISLAND, NB – Authorities looking for a North Atlantic right whale entangled in the Gulf of St. Lawrence hope to prevent it from succumbing to one of the leading causes of death of species in danger.

In an e-mailed statement, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans said that the whale was seen swimming with a rope around his body off Miscou, NB, and the officers left. Saturday to try to locate and help the animal

Gulf of St. Lawrence between June and September of last year – two of them entangled in fishing gear, according to an incident report from the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health. Four others died as a result of blunt trauma, likely caused by collisions with ships.

Five more entanglements were also reported – two whales were released by humans and two lost gear on their own. Jerry Conway, marine mammal advisor at the Canadian Whale Institute on Campobello Island, NB, said that if the whale spotted Friday is found, the organization will send his team Rescue whales to help

At such a rescue, the crew was heading for a boat and was trying to free it using either a knife-like instrument at the end of a pole a weighted rope with knives.

"It's a very sensitive operation, and you have to be aware of how whales behave," Conway said in a telephone interview on Saturday. "These whales can be pretty aggressive and we have to watch them closely before going out and doing the detangling operation."

The death of Joe Howlett, lobster fisherman and member of the Campobello Whale Rescue Team, highlighted Conway said: [TRADUCTION]

Howlett was killed a year ago in the waters of eastern New Brunswick when he was hit by a whale just after releasing fishing gear. His death prompted a temporary ban on volunteer whale rescue activities that was lifted in March.

Despite the dangers, Conway said that unraveling creatures is an important step in protecting the population of right whales at risk. 19659004] "When whales entangle, this can eventually lead to their disappearance, they can not feed, they can not swim," he said.

Several fishing grounds in the area Gulf of St. Lawrence are closed in an attempt to mitigate whale mortality

whales must be entangled, "said Conway, although he pointed out that whales are migratory and can pick up fishing gear from other places. "When we pick up the gear, we will be able to determine where the entanglement has occurred."

He added that anyone who sees a entangled whale should move away and report it to the Department of Fisheries.

No reported deaths of right whales this season until now, the death toll seems to be increasing for another whale species off the coast. East Coast, which raises fears that animals may be victims of m even threats that right whales from the North Atlantic.

Last week, Tonya Wimmer of the Marine Animal Response Society said that since February, about 14 minke whales have been found dead at sea or on the beaches of the Maritimes, mostly in northern New Brunswick. Others have been found in the Bay of Fundy, off Cape Breton Island and off eastern PEI

about 10 deaths a year. Although many sheep carcbades have been overly decomposed to determine the cause of death, Wimmer has confirmed that several other animals found dead appear to have been killed in collisions with vessels or entanglements in fishing gear.