Local news in the UK and Ireland have been dotted with several stranding reports of large cetaceans during the last month. After the fin whale seen swimming in Dublin Port had died there at the beginning of October, authorities along the Thames were faced with the death of a humpback whale followed by an endangered sei whale just recently.
The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) made use of this “fresh attention” on the topic by calling the Government and NGOs to join forces in developing a Large Whale Stranding Response Protocol.
Though such strandings are not usually common for the area, the islands are surrounded by waters with a high fin whale abundance, and humpback numbers have been increasing in Irish inshore waters. Therefore “the issue is likely to grow in importance, [calling for a] considered, coordinated and well-resourced response.”
While the necessary equipment had usually been available to handle stranding situations, their retrieval had been dependent on scrambled phone calls and the goodwill of key people, as Dr Barrow states. The IWDG is aiming for a clear protocol with key partners, stating defined roles and one coordinating party to provide the necessary structure for immediate assistance and coordination of resources that are already available. Consequently, the plan would not require a large financial budget but rely on the structured organisation of local authorities, coastguards, veterinaries and NGO experts. Most of them have readily provided assistance, solely leaving the need to formalise the relationship, to identifying the key components and how to access them at an all-time basis. A recently published draft for a protocol involving all relevant agencies by the Northern Irish conservation agency has already served as a valuable guide in the matter, as have expert opinions from successful international operations.
Coordinated and therefore rapid action is key in the case of live strandings to relieve the whale from its situation with as little harm and distress as possible. The same is true for proper and safe disposal of any dead animals, keeping the public safe and collecting necessary samples to “learn more about the animals and not waste the opportunity these strandings provide”.
Their full news release can be found here: https://iwdg.ie/iwdg-call-for-a-large-whale-response-protocol/
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