Whale rescue teams hoping to disentangle right whale in St. Lawrence Estuary
Whale rescue teams are preparing to make another attempt to disentangle a young right whale in the St. Lawrence Estuary, in an operation to save one of the last few hundred remaining animals of their kind in the ocean.
A spokesperson for Fisheries and Oceans Canada says the department has been working for more than two weeks to disentangle the young animal, which was first spotted June 22 off the coast of New Brunswick and seen Monday off Portneuf-sur-Mer, Que.
"Despite the inclement weather conditions, several attempts to disentangle the right whale have already taken place and have made it possible to remove part of the rope," Kathryn Hallett wrote in an email.
She said Tuesday that the Campobello Whale Rescue Team -- a group associated with the Canadian Whale Institute and composed of scientists and former fishers -- is on its way to the area and will attempt to intervene in the coming days with the help of several other groups.
"All regional stakeholders are mobilized and co-ordinating in order to be ready to intervene in the coming days if weather conditions allow," Hallett wrote, adding that a satellite tag has been attached to the remaining ropes to allow researchers to track the animal.
The New England Aquarium has said the entangled animal is believed to be a female calf, approximately one-and-a-half years old, that was born in 2023 to a whale named "War."
Robert Michaud, the scientific director of the Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals (GREMM), said that when it comes to the North Atlantic right whale, "every animal is very important."
"Right now we estimate the population at 360," he said. "That's all the species, all that's left." He said there is special concern over the lack of reproductive-age females, and the fact that those who give birth are doing so less frequently.
Michaud said that while entanglements aren't always fatal, they have long-term consequences for the whales, and are especially dangerous for younger ones, who aren't as strong as their parents. He said whales who have been entangled may die earlier and often reproduce less often.
"Physical condition declines following these entanglements because they have had to expend a lot of energy to extricate themselves or simply survive," he said.
An estimated 85 per cent of right whales have been entangled in fishing gear at least once, and Michaud said that includes five of the entangled Quebec whale's siblings.
Disentangling a whale can be a dangerous operation, conducted in the open ocean with knives and grappling hooks, often in difficult weather. A successful attempt, Michaud said, requires specialized teams who have knowledge of both whale behaviour and fishing gear.
However, he said the effort is worthwhile, because the right whales still have a "real chance" at survival. He said they live a long time, are quite resilient and their deaths are largely due to human causes such as entanglements and boat strikes -- making many deaths preventable.
He said conservation strategies in recent years have included lowering vessel speeds near the whales, temporarily closing areas to fishing and experimenting with ropeless fishing gear.
"Every whale that survives gives the population a chance to reestablish itself," he said. "So it's really worth it to be creative and innovative to save these animals, because they can survive."
- This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 8, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harris praises Biden's 'unmatched' legacy, claims many of the delegates she needs for the nomination
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris moved swiftly Monday to lock up Democratic delegates behind her campaign for the White House after President Joe Biden stepped aside amid concerns from within their party that he would be unable to defeat Republican Donald Trump.
WATCH LIVE 'We failed,' says Secret Service director grilled on Trump assassination attempt
Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle said Monday that her agency failed in its mission to protect former U.S.President Donald Trump during a highly contentious congressional hearing with lawmakers of both major political parties demanding she resign over security failures that allowed a gunman to scale a roof and open fire at a campaign rally.
Hollywood reacts to Joe Biden exiting the U.S. presidential race
Hollywood was quick to react to the news that U.S. President Joe Biden was ending his bid for re-election and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.
Four suicides in New Zealand linked to Ontario's Kenneth Law
New Zealand's coroner has ruled that four of its citizens died after ordering products from an Ontario man who is facing murder charges for selling poisonous substances.
Prince George is 11 -- see his birthday photo
Prince George has turned 11, and as per tradition his proud parents have released an official portrait to mark the occasion.
Two-thirds of Canadians polled say they 'desperately' need interest rates to go down
A new survey says the Bank of Canada's recent interest rate cut did little to change Canadians' negative perceptions about their personal finances.
Israel orders evacuation of part of Gaza humanitarian zone as war's toll passes 39,000 Palestinians
The Israeli military ordered the evacuation Monday of part of a crowded area in the Gaza Strip it had designated a humanitarian zone, saying it is planning an operation against Hamas militants there.
Wildfire forces evacuation of B.C.'s Barkerville gold rush heritage site
Visitors have been told to avoid B.C.'s historic Barkerville gold rush town, which is among several areas in the province's Cariboo region under evacuation orders due to the massive Antler Creek wildfire.
LeBron James to be Team USA's male flag bearer for Olympic Opening Ceremony
NBA legend LeBron James has been selected as Team USA’s male flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games.