According to the Miami Herald, the local Marine Animal Response Association posted on Facebook on November 17: "The findings are very disturbing that the 45-foot (about 13-meter) male whale died from ingesting a large amount of fishing gear, which made him emaciated and prompted him to run aground on the beach," the Miami Herald reported. ”
"Shockingly, it had as many as 300 pounds of fishing gear stuffed in its stomach."
The sperm whale was reportedly found stranded near Cape Breton Island in western Canada on November 4, and investigators said it was alive when stranded, but died by last week.
A Facebook post included a photo of fishing gear showing a knee-high pile of nets, ropes and threads. Experts say the knots in the net caused severe blockages in the whale's digestive system.
"On this note, we do not know the type or origin of fishing gear, nor where or when whales ingest them," the association wrote. What we do know for sure is that it causes marine animals to slowly starve to death. This is a reminder that clearly shows the serious problem of litter and other plastics in the ocean, including lost, discarded and discarded fishing gear. ”
According to CTV Atlantic, association director Tonya Wimmer said sperm whales can easily swallow marine debris because "their mouths act like a vacuum cleaner when feeding." As scary and unbelievable as it sounds, eating garbage can cause whales to die slowly.
According to Agence France-Presse, in September this year, 14 sperm whales were found stranded and killed, all male, in Gold Island in northwestern Tasmania, Australia, who may have stranded too close to the coast during foraging or just in time for low tide. Nearly 500 pilot whales died from strandings on beaches near New Zealand's Chatham Islands between Oct. 7 and 10, according to the Associated Press.
It is reported that sperm whales can weigh up to 45 tons and reach 52 feet in length, making them the largest toothed whales with a lifespan of about 60 years. They are currently endangered and protected, and the main dangers they face are entanglement in fishing nets and strikes by vessels.
Source: Yangcheng Evening News • Yangcheng Pai Synthesis