Last month a juvenile female sperm whale washed up at Port Waikato, New Zealand with some visible injuries inflicted from fishing gear. The animal's tail had been ensnared in heavy gauge monofilament long-line, indicating entanglement in a commercial long-line. The fishing gear had cut deeply into the surrounding tissue which indicates that the animal had been trailing gear for many months.

Katja Geschke, veterinarian from Wellington Zoo was unable to determine the cause of death from photos taken at the scene, but was confident that the tail wound would have been painful for the individual and would have ultimately been detrimental to its welfare.

The fact that the whale was covered in many parasitic whale lice also suggests that it had been doing poorly at sea for an extended period before it died, and that its immune system was suppressed. Also it is unlikely that this animal was part of the well known Kaikoura population which consists almost exclusively of males. It is more likely that this animal came from waters outside of New Zealand and has strayed into coastal New Zealand waters as its condition deteriorated.

Lissa Goodwin, Fisheries & Policy Officer for the Marine Connection comments "This sperm whale is just one of many which die from entanglement in fishing gear the world over. This problem is not limited to New Zealand or indeed to long line fisheries, yet it demonstrates the kind of slow and lingering death with may result from interaction with such fishing gear. We urgently need to reassess fishing practices to ensure a sustainable and environmentally friendly method to prevent such needless deaths in the future".

"Always check the label to ensure that the fish you buy comes from
sustainable and environmentally friendly fishing practices".

Sperm whales and killer whales have both been recorded taking hooked fish off commercial long-lines in the South Pacific, a behaviour known as depredation. Sperm whales have been frequently recorded as becoming entangled in long-line fisheries for Patagonian toothfish in Antarctic waters. However, this is the first incident in New Zealand where a stranded sperm whale has been found in association with commercial fishing gear.

Sadly a number of teeth were stolen from the carcass. The person who took these teeth and is holding them now is in contravention of the Marine Mammal Protection Act 1978. Penalty for holding marine mammal body parts without a permit is up to six months imprisonment or a heavy fine.

This incident once again highlights the ongoing concern of marine mammal interactions with a variety of fisheries.