Humpback whale rescued from fishing gear in Salish Sea

A humpback whale has been saved by some quick-acting rescue teams after it got caught in fishing gear in B.C. waters last week.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Marine Mammal Rescue Team responded to reports of the humpback being entangled near Texada Island. When the team arrived, members found the animal was caught in a large yellow buoy being used to catch prawns.

RCMP officers and a vessel responded to help the rescue team, along with commercial tug boat operators, BC Ferries captains, and local whale watchers.

The Department of Fisheries told CityNews in a statement that after the whale was located the DFO marine mammal rescue team successfully removed the gear.

“The conservation and protection of marine mammals is a top priority for Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). DFO is a coordinating member of the B.C. Marine Mammal Response Network. Any response to a marine mammal in distress is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

“Debris is a real problem for marine wildlife. The public can help prevent entanglements by cutting packing material, banding, rope, and other looped material before disposing of it, and by not disposing of these materials in the marine environment,” the department said in its statement.

The DFO says people can report any instances of marine mammals in distress to the Marine Mammal Incident Reporting Hotline at 1-800-465-4336. Last year, the DFO received reports of 719 incidents with marine mammals.

–With files from Cole Schisler