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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, August 7, 2003

Coast Guard frees whale caught in net

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

The crew of the Honolulu-based Coast Guard cutter Jarvis yesterday freed an endangered sperm whale that was entangled in a drift net in the North Pacific.

Crew from the Jarvis used boat hooks with knives to free a sperm whale entangled in a drift net yesterday. The crew spotted the endangered mammal while on routine patrol in the North Pacific.

Photo courtesy U.S. Coast Guard

The Jarvis was on routine patrol when it spotted the whale near a buoy where illegal drift nets have been found, said Coast Guard spokeswoman Erica Ryan.

"They just by mere fluke happened to spot it," Ryan said of the whale. "They just went to investigate and once they got close they realized that there was actually a whale that had become entangled in the net."

A small boat was launched from the Jarvis and crew members used boat hooks with knives to cut the nylon line. In addition to the net, Ryan said, the whale was entangled in the buoy line.

She said the whale had been struggling to free itself and appeared exhausted and hungry. But Ryan said the whale swam away once it was freed and seemed OK.

The Coast Guard is on the lookout for unattended and illegal drift nets, which pose a hazard to marine life. Ryan said there was no way to determine who left the net that snagged the whale.

"It's a huge concern because porpoises, dolphins and whales get caught in it, especially if (fishing boats are) just dumping it, then there's no one coming back to check or there's no one to release the animals that become entangled," Ryan said.

Last month, the cutters Jarvis and Rush intercepted three Chinese vessels for breaking international agreements between the U.S. and China on legal amount of netting. The crews were turned over to the Chinese government for prosecution.

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8025.