Marine mammal rescuers operating on Vancouver Island have reported a hectic summer dealing with whale entanglements. Paul Cottrell, the marine mammal coordinator at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, revealed that his team has been addressing an average of one to two entanglements weekly for the past two months, aligning with last year’s figures. They have also conducted multiple necropsies during this period.
The latest incident occurred last week, marking the third activation of Cottrell’s team in less than two weeks. A humpback whale calf, along with its mother, was discovered near the south coast of Vancouver Island entangled in over 100 meters of rope. The team traced the gear and determined that the calf had been towing the rope since July 5 when it went missing from British Columbia’s central coast.
The team dedicated seven hours to freeing the calf, collaborating with U.S. counterparts. Cottrell expressed the team’s satisfaction in saving the calf, emphasizing the importance of each animal’s rescue. Prior to this, his team had responded to two entanglement calls in two consecutive days. They spent a day and a half disentangling a whale named Wiggins for the second time within a year near French Creek on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island before rushing to the central Island and the Alberni Inlet for another rescue operation.
Cottrell noted the increasing frequency of such incidents, with no signs of entanglement rates decreasing. He highlighted the simultaneous rise in humpback whale sightings in British Columbia’s inshore waters, attributing it to successful conservation efforts. However, he expressed concerns about the escalating entanglement cases due to the overlap with inshore fishing gear.
Jackie Hildering, a researcher and educator at the Marine Education and Research Society (MERS), acknowledged the positive impact of conservation efforts on humpback whales, granting them a “second chance” following near-extinction due to hunting. Despite this progress, Hildering voiced concerns about the current entanglement crisis, noting that 50% of whales she has documented show signs of previous entanglements, suggesting the actual numbers might be higher.
She emphasized the urgency of prevention and education over reactive measures like disentanglements, stating that long-term survival rates post-rescue remain uncertain. Hildering advocated for informed actions to prevent humpback entanglements and fatalities, promoting MERS’ whale safe boating course endorsed by the federal government as a proactive solution.
The marine mammal rescue team continues to respond to entanglement incidents, underscoring the need for sustained efforts to protect marine wildlife in the region.