A Southern right whale that got entangled in a craypot line off the coast of Rakiura\/Stewart Island has been freed.<\/p>\n
The Department of Conservation (Doc) said the whale was reported by fishers on Saturday morning and was last seen between Lucky Point and Saddle Point that afternoon.<\/p>\n
The whale appeared to be breathing comfortably and was not in immediate danger, giving responders time to\u00a0 assess the situation and determine the safest course of action.<\/p>\n
CRA8 Rock Lobster Industry Association said in a statement this evening that a Doc specialist disentanglement team from Kaikoura had been called in, and\u00a0the whale was successfully freed this afternoon, to the delight of\u00a0Rakiura fishers and the Doc team.<\/p>\n
“Our fishers did exactly the right thing, and today’s outcome is a testament to what happens when people who work on the water take their responsibilities seriously,” Kathryn Molloy, Chief Executive of CRA8, said.<\/p>\n
“We are so relieved this whale is free. The Rakiura fishing community cares deeply about the ocean and everything in it.”<\/p>\n
Molloy said Southern right whales were among the rarest marine mammals in New Zealand waters, “and their slow recovery from near-extinction makes every individual precious”.<\/p>\n
She said they acknowledged Doc’s specialist team, and all those who reported sightings to help locate the animal.<\/p>\n
“CRA8 will be working with Doc and the wider fishing sector to review how we can better protect whales in these waters going forward.”<\/p>\n
\u00a0– Allied Media<\/p>\n
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