Tag Archives: Entangled Whales
Feces of entangled North Atlantic right whales show ‘extreme suffering’
A new study offers a glimpse into the state of mind of North Atlantic right whales when they are trapped and dying in fishing gear. By measuring hormone levels in the collected feces of the endangered whales, scientists have determined the animals’ stress levels are “sky-high.” “What it tells us is that there is extreme physical trauma and extreme suffering going on,” said Rosalind Rolland, a senior scientist at the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium and the lead author of the study. click here to read the story 14:14
Crab Fishermen Trained as ‘First Responders’ for Entangled Whales
Crab season means more Dungeness crab on Bay Area menus, but it could also mean more injured whales. The cetaceans get entangled in crab trap lines, which is why the federal government is teaching crabbers to become first responders. Geoff Bettencourt is a fourth-generation fisherman. From his boat, The Moriah Lee, he points to an area in Half Moon Bay. “The whales have been so thick in here. Like close, where they’ve never ever been,” says Bettencourt. Listen, and read the rest here 20:26
