Federal officials are investigating the deaths of nine orcas who were caught by trawlers that trawl groundfish in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands fishing grounds this year. conservation groups believe that there is more to be done to prevent these deaths.
Based on NOAA Fisheries, a tenth whale was released alive, however the other nine orcas caught in trawl traps weren’t as fortunate.
“NOAA Fisheries is analysing collected data to identify the root of the death or injury and also identify which whales’ stocks they belong to by a thorough review of genetic data,” said Julie Fair, a public affairs officer at the agency’s Alaska office, who read from the statement that was released Thursday. She refused the opportunity to interview her with the exception of to speak the declaration in a loud voice.
They are also protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which requires boat owners and operators to report accidents and deaths of the animals in commercial fishing and surveying operations.
Fair claimed NOAA Fisheries monitors bycatch of protected species to determine if the animals were dead prior to being captured or if they were seriously injured or killed due to commercial gear.
It is unclear what vessels were at fault in the incidents were not identified, however Fair stated that the vessels were required to have two federal witnesses aboard.
It’s not the first time killer whales have been spotted in traps in trawl gear off Alaska however the number of whales caught appears to have increased in the last year.
“Nine 10 killer whales is a lot,” said Shari Tarantino who is the head of Seattle-based organisation Orca Conservancy, which advocates for the threatened Southern Resident killer whale population which ranges across California all the way to Southeast Alaska. “And even if it’s only this year, there’s something that needs being done in the coming years to stop these afflictions honestly.”
Chris Woodley, head of the Groundfish Forum — the Seattle-based organization which has representation for Bering Sea trawlers — was not available for interviews and instead sent a statement in writing addressed to KUCB instead. In the statement, he stated that vessels are trying out changes to the gears that might hinder whales from entering the trawl nets. He also said that the Amendment 80 trawl boats voluntarily have stopped fishing as of Sept. 9 after more than three months to go in the season because there was a bycatch of orcas.
The encounters of fishing boat fishermen that hurt the orcas or even killed them on Alaskan waters were not common until recently, as per the report, first published through The Anchorage Daily News. NOAA recorded just seven deadly whale deaths or serious injuries that resulted from fishing gear being entangled between 2014 to 2020.
“In 2023 the captains of our vessel have noticed increased amount of killer whales that are spotted close to our vessels, and they are feeding near the fishing nets,” the statement is stated in the second paragraph. “This unusual behavior has not been reported before, and marine mammal researchers do not know why this shift has happened.”
Tarantino stated that it’s crucial to ensure the protection of orcas for future generations.
“We’re not saying to stop fishing, but I think that trawling can be harmful to marine animals and all the living creatures in them,” she said. “But to keep taking bycatch from the ocean is just crazy. It’s damaging our future according to me. If the ocean is gone and we go, then we go.”
A biologist Deborah Giles, the science and research director of the Washington-based non-profit organization Wild Orca, said she was not surprised to hear about the deaths of nine orcas.
“I was thrilled that the agency acknowledged it in a public manner,” she said. “Of Of course, the skeptic brain is wondering if this occurs even though it wasn’t reported — or at the least not publicly released. I’m glad to hear that this will be looked into.”
Giles added that the industry has to find a secure way to stop animals from coming into contact with fishing vessels, and also decrease the amount of bycatch from non-targeted species.
“We’d like to ask NOAA to develop new procedures to ensure that this won’t happen again at some point in the near future.” She said. “NOAA is accountable for marine mammals, such as killer whales. They’re also accountable for ensuring that the fishing industry isn’t threatening species that aren’t targeted. Particularly in the trawl fishing industry bycatch can be huge. This isn’t sustainable. First, we have to know is what they doing to address this issue? What measures are to be taken to lessen the impact of the impact of this?”
Active members of campaigners with the “Stop Factory Trawler bycatch” campaign are planning to hold protests on Thursday at the annual gathering of the Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers in the Seattle’s Four Seasons Hotel.
“Nothing I’ve seen clarifies the trawl vessels at risk,” anti-bycatch activist David Bayes stated in an SMS message.
The genuine Alaska Pollock Producers did not immediately respond to a request for details Wednesday afternoon.
In a statement written by the agency, NOAA spokesperson Julie Fair said the agency is in the process of evaluating the incidents that harm orcas and will report results as soon as it is possible.
