Fourth Humpback Whale Found Dead Along B.C. Coast in a Week; Experts Say Cuts to the Mammal’s Tail Suggest Fishing Gear Entanglement
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [The Globe and Mail] By Kat Sieniuc - August 13, 2015
A humpback whale that washed up dead on the shore of British Columbia’s northern coast last week was the fourth to die in a week in the province’s coastal waters.
The 10-metre-long female whale was found floating on its back near Klemtu, B.C., with several gaping cuts and a large gash above its tail that experts say indicate it might have been entangled in rope.
But while investigators from Fisheries and Oceans Canada are still trying to determine exactly how the large humpback ended up dead, the department says it also performed a necropsy – or animal autopsy – on a smaller humpback near Haida Gwaii on Tuesday, and at least two more were reported to be seen floating lifeless in the water within the last seven days.
“It’s a concern and it’s something that we’re watching,” said Paul Cottrell...
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