Another minke whale has been killed by entanglement in fishing nets off the Yorkshire coast

A dead minke whale that washed up on Spurn Point in the Humber Estuary had starved to death after becoming entangled in fishing nets, scientists say.
The minke whale at Spurn Point (photo: James Wood)The minke whale at Spurn Point (photo: James Wood)
The minke whale at Spurn Point (photo: James Wood)

The cetacean's death comes just weeks after the bodies of four other minke whales were found off the coast of Whitby with visible injuries caused by fishing tackle.

Marine biologists from the Zoological Society of London's Cetaceans Strandings Investigations Programme were able to conduct an autopsy on the Spurn Point whale, having been unable to reach the beached Whitby carcasses before decomposition set in.

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Around 4kg of plastic material was detached from the animal and 27 lobster pots were found washed ashore nearby.

The whale's tail was almost severed by the fishing tackle (photo: CSIP/ZSL)The whale's tail was almost severed by the fishing tackle (photo: CSIP/ZSL)
The whale's tail was almost severed by the fishing tackle (photo: CSIP/ZSL)

Rob Deaville from the CSIP said: "Very sad case earlier this week - examined a 7.5-metre juvenile female minke whale which stranded at Spurn Point in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Extremely emaciated, likely due to probable chronic entanglement - tail flukes partly severed by entanglement.

"Entanglement in mass of plastic rope, packing straps and other fragments of plastic - stalked barnacles growing on the debris. Really sad to think that 4kg of plastic material could cause such a profound welfare issue in this whale.

"Samples were collected to aid research and assessment of possible chronicity of entanglement. I really hope we don't see another case like this again."

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Mr Deaville and the CSIP team travel around the UK to conduct postmortem analysis on stranded whales, dolphins and porpoises.

Around 4kg of plastic waste and fishing tackle was retrieved from the body (photo: CSIP/ZSL)Around 4kg of plastic waste and fishing tackle was retrieved from the body (photo: CSIP/ZSL)
Around 4kg of plastic waste and fishing tackle was retrieved from the body (photo: CSIP/ZSL)

A cursory examination of one of the Whitby minkes, which was washed ashore at Upgang Ravine in September, appeared to confirm that it had died from entanglement and that 'creel' lines used by lobster fishermen were to blame.

Creel fishing involves the use of pots which are laid on the seabed and linked together by chains attached to buoys on the surface. Lobster and crab harvesting is usually carried out by local trawler crews, and is known as a more sustainable method of fishing as it is species-specific, the vessels remain close to shore and there is little by-catch.

Bridlington is now considered one of Europe's main lobster ports, and the switch of trawler crews' focus to shellfish has been credited with helping the industry to recover from the Cod Wars and the introduction of EU fishing quotas.

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The CSIP members are contracted by government department DEFRA to carry out autopsies and investigations, but after this point - unless the whale's skeleton is taken for display purposes - it is the responsibility of the landowner to arrange disposal of the carcass for public health reasons. Spurn Head nature reserve is owned by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust.

Some whales have been taken to landfill sites after previous strandings, but they can also be incinerated.

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