The whale that got stuck in fishing nets is to be euthanized – news Nordland

On Tuesday, a whale got stuck in fishing gear at Nappstraumen in Lofoten. The whale had become entangled in fishing gear which prevented it from moving properly. The Directorate of Fisheries needed time to coordinate the rescue operation at the whale and did not have the opportunity to do so on Tuesday. The Directorate of Fisheries and the Coast Guard therefore teamed up on Wednesday to release the whale. The Directorate of Fisheries informed Lofotposten that at 12:30 on Wednesday they had an ongoing operation to save the mammal. On Wednesday evening, Erling Øksenvåg told news that the rescue operation went well, but that the whale was very tired. Professional experts must have assessed the whale to be in such bad condition that it has been decided to euthanize it, says Øksenvåg to news. It was VG who first reported that the whale was to be euthanized. – It has not yet been euthanized, but it must be done. Now they have started a process of getting hold of people with the right equipment. Here the whale is freed Photo: Coastguard – We don’t have the equipment to do that. You cannot use ordinary weapons for this. – This is a large animal that can cause great damage, even with small movements. Here, the focus has been on getting the ropework cut away as safely as possible, says Øksenvåg. Heike Vester, biologist and whale researcher at Ocean Sounds, told news on Tuesday that it took too long before the rescue operation was initiated. – I think it’s too late, and I think it’s going very slowly. Every hour is important to it, Vester said. Published 31.07.2024, at 21.08 Updated 31.07.2024, at 21.15



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