| Australia. Humpback whale saved from fishing net |
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| Sunday, 20 August 2006 | |
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Environmental news: A humpback whale has been freed from about 150m of fishing net, marking the end of a successful rescue operation in North Queensland waters. Environment Minister Desley Boyle congratulated staff from two government agencies – the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) and the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) – for their efforts during the rescue. “The rescue team has reported that the whale was freed from the net about 11.30am on Friday and swam off strongly.” Ms Boyle said.“The team continued to monitor the animal for about an hour to ensure that all traces of the net had been removed. The animal has now swum off, so they are confident it will fully recover from its misadventure.” QPWS Townsville District Marine Parks Manager Rusty Smith said the rescue operation started about 5am Friday when specialist DPI&F staff from Mackay left Taylors Beach to join QPWS Marine Parks rangers, who spent the night with the whale. At the time, it was located near Esk Island, about 2 nautical miles south-east of Great Palm Island. “Rescuers attached inflatable floats to the tangled net to tire the whale and restrict its movements.” Mr Smith said. “This made the situation safer for the rescue team to approach the animal and start cutting it free from the net. By mid-morning, the whale’s head had been freed from the net and the rescue continued to progress well until the whale swam free about 11.30. Once the team was satisfied the whale was okay, they collected the net and other debris and returned to shore.” |
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| Last Updated ( Sunday, 20 August 2006 ) |
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