Whales

[Flutterby]

[RogerFraser]

Mister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries concerned over entanglement of whales in fishing gear
28 June 2019
https://www.environment.gov.za/mediarel ... -FC9HBorho


Following consultation with operators in the False Bay Area, The Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Ms Barbara Creecy, has today decided to temporarily suspend exploratory fishing for octopus with immediate effect.

“Our decision is taken following widespread public concern regarding recent whale entanglements in the False Bay area which has resulted in the untimely and cruel death of these magnificent creatures” said Minister Creecy.

During a recent engagement with Fisheries stakeholders in Cape Town, Minister Creecy indicated that she is seeking independent scientific advice on practical measures that can help prevent entanglement incidents in the future.

Since then, the Department has engaged with operators and agreed that the suspension will remain until such time as scientists can investigate the matter further and explore possible mitigation measures to reduce entanglements.

In 2014, the Department established an octopus exploratory fishery that is operating in Saldanha, False Bay and Mossel Bay. This programme aims to gain scientific knowledge regarding octopus harvesting, with a view to enhancing job creation and economic development in coastal areas. Meaningful data has been collected between 2014 and 2018, and will continue until 2021 in order to ensure a solid statistical time series of catch and effort data.

Once enough data has been collected, it will be analysed and subjected to proper scientific scrutiny and review, after which a recommendation will be made regarding the viability of establishing a new commercial fishery. Such a recommendation will also consider mitigating measures in the operations of octopus fishery.

During the course of the exploratory fishery for octopus, the Department has been working with Permit Holders and other stakeholders to implement measures to minimize the entanglement of whales in fishing gear. Many practical suggestions made by various stakeholders have been implemented through the permit conditions for octopus fishery.

After special sinking lines with extra weights were introduced in 2017, there were no recorded whale fatalities in 2018. Currently, discussions have been initiated to investigate the possible use of ‘acoustic release buoys’ or ‘time release buoys’ to minimise the need for vertical lines. These options still require testing, but offer hope of dramatically reducing or eliminating whale entanglements in octopus fishing gear. Further work still needs to be done to assess commercial viability of these solutions.

Following today’s meeting, operators will commence removing the gear from False Bay, focusing initially on those areas identified as most sensitive and with the highest number of interactions.

For media queries contact:

Albi Modise
Cell: 083 490 2871

[Richprins]

Elections are now over for a couple of years, so ANC can now pretend to care. They are the ones who awarded wild fishing licenses for "communities" before 2016 and 2019 elections.

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[Dzombo]

In today's news :

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-48592682

[Lisbeth]

There is a topic in the "Hunting" forum, Dzombo

[Lisbeth]

National SPCA threatens prosecutions for whale-killing octopus traps

2019-07-02 06:31
Duncan Alfreds

The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) has threatened to take legal action if whales are caught in octopus traps as bycatch.

This comes after reports of drowned whales as a result of the traps.

"We have issued a warning to the trap owner and DEFF (Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries) has put a moratorium on this particular fisheries permit," NSPCA spokesperson Meg Wilson told News24 on Monday.

The use of octopus traps are a particular risk to the whales as they get caught in the long ropes.


A whale has been rescued after it was entangled in octopus lines. (Raggie Charters)

"The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA) is disturbed at the suffering caused by octopus traps being used at False Bay in the Western Cape. This is in light of the most recent three whales that were caught in these traps - two of which succumbed to death," said Wilson.

Whale deaths

The threat comes after a whale was freed from octopus lines on Monday morning after it became stuck on Sunday.

"SAWDN (the South African Whale Disentanglement Network) successfully rescued the whale this morning," Gregg Oelofse, City of Cape Town manager of coastal management in the environmental management department, told News24 on Monday.

According to the City of Cape Town, the former Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) issued an exploratory octopus permit 17 years ago and in 2017, the City called on DAFF to set limits as part of the conditions for the permit.

"We argue that the national department should, after nearly two decades, be able to fully comprehend the impact and risks associated with the exploratory fishing. Clearly, there is an urgent need to design fishing gear that would not lead to the drowning of whales," said mayoral committee member for spatial planning and environment, Marian Nieuwoudt.

The NSPCA explained that it had recently been informed of the deaths of whales as a result of the traps.

"It's only been brought to our attention now. The bycatch, the octopi are kept in traps for days - if you lay a trap, you have to clear that trap within 24 hours," said Wilson.

"The NSPCA enforces the Animals Protection Act and we need to stand up for any animal where the law is contravened."

The City of Cape Town has also modified the way it deals with dead whales.

"When a whale carcass washed ashore we would go and remove it - it was a difficult job because these whales can easily weigh 30 tons," said Oelofse.

"In moving that whale, we were actually causing a lot of damage so now, when we are alerted to a floating whale, we tow it to a slipway and that makes it much easier to remove it."

'Big operation'

He said the carcasses are taken to the Vissershok landfill site near Table View where they are buried in a specific part of the site. There is also a dedicated team to clean up the area where the whale was removed from the ocean.

"It's a big operation and it costs a lot of money and a lot of staff," Oelofse added.

In Oelofse's experience, large whales seldom beach alive and whales, such as humpback and southern right whales, usually die from ship strikes, being caught in traps, or from natural causes.

"Over the last five years, it (entanglements and traps) only accounts for 5% of deaths. We've removed about six whale carcasses so far this year."

Oelofse added that 10% of whale deaths can be attributed to ship strikes and the rest to natural or unknown causes.

The environmental organisation Greenpeace called for urgent action to prevent more whale deaths.

"We cannot sit back and just allow these senseless and gruesome whale deaths to continue. Endangered whales have many obstacles to face today - the climate crisis, pollution, ocean acidification, and overfishing, which threatens their food supply," said Melita Steele, senior climate and energy campaign manager for Greenpeace Africa.

Risk to whales

The International Whaling Commission's report on the risk to Western Grey Whales (WGW) as a result of entanglement concluded that a serious effort should be made to minimise fishing along whale migratory routes.

"As a general point, it is clear that for WGWs to recover throughout their historical range, accidental mortality and serious injury in fishing gear must be minimised to the fullest extent possible. Authorities, as well as fishermen and fishing companies, in all of the range states need to be made aware of and acknowledge the risks that fisheries represent to these animals," reads the report from 2017.

According to a report from the Western Australian government, Effectiveness of mitigation measures to reduce interactions between commercial fishing gear and whales, adapting the fishing gear could prevent whale deaths.

"Costs of gear modifications were assessed relative to the 'standard' current fishing gear configuration over the whale migration period. Incorporating biodegradable rope into a fisher's standard fishing gear would add no further costs - both being priced at approximately $44 per rig," the report noted.

The NSPCA urged the public to report animal cruelty to it.

[Richprins]

Rare photo captures sea lion falling into mouth of whale
Wednesday 31 July 2019 - 8:48am





This handout picture released on July 30, 2019, shows a sea lion accidentally caught in the mouth of a humpback whale in Monterey Bay, California.
AFP

LOS ANGELES - In a stunning photo, a wildlife photographer has captured a sea lion falling into the mouth of a humpback whale in what he calls a "once-in-a-lifetime" moment.

Chase Dekker, who is also a marine biologist, took the spectacular shot during a whale-watching boat trip off the coast of Monterey Bay, in California, last week.

"I get to see a lot of crazy stuff but never this," said the 27-year-old who has been taking pictures of wildlife for nearly a decade.

He said he was on a whale-watching boat trip on July 22 when he noticed a group of humpback whales on a feeding frenzy.



As the animals were munching on anchovies, an unlucky sea lion failed to get out of the way in time and ended up inside the whale's mouth, Dekker recounted in interviews and an Instagram post.

He said he quickly grabbed his camera and began snapping pictures of the incredible moment.

"I was ecstatic because I captured a moment I may never see again," he said.

But rest assured, Dekker said, the whale never closed its jaws on the sea lion which was probably very shaken by the experience but managed to swim away.

"That sea lion had the true 'Jonah Experience'," he said on Instagram.

https://www.enca.com/life/rare-photo-ca ... outh-whale

[Lisbeth]

What a fright the sea-lion must have had

[Flutterby]

Great pic!

[Lisbeth]

Support vital to probe whale deaths
Strandings team needs better capacity and resources to tackle dissections, scientist says

BY GUY ROGERS - 26 August 2019

With four whales having stranded in the past two weeks in and around Algoa Bay the situation needs urgent investigation but in order to do that support is needed.

NMU marine biologist Dr Stephanie Plön said on Friday while one of the whales clearly died because of entanglement with lobster fishing lines, the reason for the other three deaths was not known – and this was a concern...

(This article is reserved for HeraldLIVE subscribers.)