❓ A WA parliamentary question regarding a humpback whale entangled in craypot ropes near Kalbarri. The Minister details the rescue efforts undertaken by CALM and partner agencies, and the ongoing search for the whale.
AnsweredQoN 347Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Can the minister please advise the House on the fate of the whale that was entangled in craypot ropes near Kalbarri? Dr J.M. EDWARDS
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. I am aware that he is a member of the RSPCA WA in Geraldton. I advise that the Department of Conservation and Land Management received a report at about eight o’clock this morning from the skipper of a vessel called Captain Fathom that he had sighted an 11 to 12-metre humpback whale tangled up in rock lobster pot lines and floats. However, the whale was still swimming. The sighting was 15 kilometres north-west of Kalbarri and about 10 kilometres offshore. CALM immediately sent a specialist team and arranged to work with the commercial fishing boats, the local sea search and rescue group and the police. The strategy was to attach inflatable buoys to the lines to slow the whale down, and the team would then use an inflatable boat to get close to the animal and cut the lines using specialist equipment, but at all times maintain safety procedures. These techniques have been developed and used by CALM since the mid 1990s. In fact, CALM staff now train and accredit people over east in these techniques. At this stage, though, the team has not been required to get its feet wet. A spotter aircraft was sent out to the last known location of the animal, but it was not able to locate it, so the rescue effort was put on hold. I am informed that there is reasonable chance that the whale has disentangled itself, although there is also a possibility that it will be sighted further north. Therefore, CALM has now put out a general alert to all fishing vessels between Kalbarri and Exmouth to be on the lookout for the animal to try to ascertain its fate.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for the question. I am aware that he is a member of the RSPCA WA in Geraldton. I advise that the Department of Conservation and Land Management received a report at about eight o’clock this morning from the skipper of a vessel called Captain Fathom that he had sighted an 11 to 12-metre humpback whale tangled up in rock lobster pot lines and floats. However, the whale was still swimming. The sighting was 15 kilometres north-west of Kalbarri and about 10 kilometres offshore. CALM immediately sent a specialist team and arranged to work with the commercial fishing boats, the local sea search and rescue group and the police. The strategy was to attach inflatable buoys to the lines to slow the whale down, and the team would then use an inflatable boat to get close to the animal and cut the lines using specialist equipment, but at all times maintain safety procedures. These techniques have been developed and used by CALM since the mid 1990s. In fact, CALM staff now train and accredit people over east in these techniques. At this stage, though, the team has not been required to get its feet wet. A spotter aircraft was sent out to the last known location of the animal, but it was not able to locate it, so the rescue effort was put on hold. I am informed that there is reasonable chance that the whale has disentangled itself, although there is also a possibility that it will be sighted further north. Therefore, CALM has now put out a general alert to all fishing vessels between Kalbarri and Exmouth to be on the lookout for the animal to try to ascertain its fate.
I thank the member for the question. I am aware that he is a member of the RSPCA WA in Geraldton. I advise that the Department of Conservation and Land Management received a report at about eight o’clock this morning from the skipper of a vessel called Captain Fathom that he had sighted an 11 to 12-metre humpback whale tangled up in rock lobster pot lines and floats. However, the whale was still swimming. The sighting was 15 kilometres north-west of Kalbarri and about 10 kilometres offshore. CALM immediately sent a specialist team and arranged to work with the commercial fishing boats, the local sea search and rescue group and the police. The strategy was to attach inflatable buoys to the lines to slow the whale down, and the team would then use an inflatable boat to get close to the animal and cut the lines using specialist equipment, but at all times maintain safety procedures. These techniques have been developed and used by CALM since the mid 1990s. In fact, CALM staff now train and accredit people over east in these techniques. At this stage, though, the team has not been required to get its feet wet. A spotter aircraft was sent out to the last known location of the animal, but it was not able to locate it, so the rescue effort was put on hold. I am informed that there is reasonable chance that the whale has disentangled itself, although there is also a possibility that it will be sighted further north. Therefore, CALM has now put out a general alert to all fishing vessels between Kalbarri and Exmouth to be on the lookout for the animal to try to ascertain its fate.
Dr J.M. EDWARDS replied: I thank the member for the question. I am aware that he is a member of the RSPCA WA in Geraldton. I advise that the Department of Conservation and Land Management received a report at about eight o’clock this morning from the skipper of a vessel called Captain Fathom that he had sighted an 11 to 12-metre humpback whale tangled up in rock lobster pot lines and floats. However, the whale was still swimming. The sighting was 15 kilometres north-west of Kalbarri and about 10 kilometres offshore. CALM immediately sent a specialist team and arranged to work with the commercial fishing boats, the local sea search and rescue group and the police. The strategy was to attach inflatable buoys to the lines to slow the whale down, and the team would then use an inflatable boat to get close to the animal and cut the lines using specialist equipment, but at all times maintain safety procedures. These techniques have been developed and used by CALM since the mid 1990s. In fact, CALM staff now train and accredit people over east in these techniques. At this stage, though, the team has not been required to get its feet wet. A spotter aircraft was sent out to the last known location of the animal, but it was not able to locate it, so the rescue effort was put on hold. I am informed that there is reasonable chance that the whale has disentangled itself, although there is also a possibility that it will be sighted further north. Therefore, CALM has now put out a general alert to all fishing vessels between Kalbarri and Exmouth to be on the lookout for the animal to try to ascertain its fate.
I thank the member for the question. I am aware that he is a member of the RSPCA WA in Geraldton. I advise that the Department of Conservation and Land Management received a report at about eight o’clock this morning from the skipper of a vessel called Captain Fathom that he had sighted an 11 to 12-metre humpback whale tangled up in rock lobster pot lines and floats. However, the whale was still swimming. The sighting was 15 kilometres north-west of Kalbarri and about 10 kilometres offshore. CALM immediately sent a specialist team and arranged to work with the commercial fishing boats, the local sea search and rescue group and the police. The strategy was to attach inflatable buoys to the lines to slow the whale down, and the team would then use an inflatable boat to get close to the animal and cut the lines using specialist equipment, but at all times maintain safety procedures. These techniques have been developed and used by CALM since the mid 1990s. In fact, CALM staff now train and accredit people over east in these techniques. At this stage, though, the team has not been required to get its feet wet. A spotter aircraft was sent out to the last known location of the animal, but it was not able to locate it, so the rescue effort was put on hold. I am informed that there is reasonable chance that the whale has disentangled itself, although there is also a possibility that it will be sighted further north. Therefore, CALM has now put out a general alert to all fishing vessels between Kalbarri and Exmouth to be on the lookout for the animal to try to ascertain its fate.
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