Post by account_disabled on Feb 20, 2024 7:41:00 GMT 1
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a record number of killer whales have died this year after eating fish dragged by commercial trawlers in Alaska and then becoming entangled in fishing gear. Fishermen have linked the increased mortality to a βnew behavior,β in which killer whales β also known as killer whales β feed in front of nets that fishermen simultaneously bring to the surface. "In 2023, our captains have reported an increase in the number of orcas present near our boats," the Groundfish Forum, a Seattle-based fishing trade association that oversees the activities of 19 trawlers in Pacific waters, said in a statement. North. statement . While killer whales are known to flock to fishing grounds to feast on the catch, "marine mammal scientists are not sure why this change has occurred.
Killer whales ( orca ) are highly intelligent and innovative marine mammals that can imitate and learn from each other through a process called social learning. Orcas are known to exploit human Job Function Email Database fisheries, which provide them with all-you-can-eat buffets around the world, according to a 2022 study. NOAA Fisheries Report . Longline fisheries, in which lines of baited hooks are hung to catch various species of fish, are particularly attractive, as killer whales can easily strip food from the hooks. Related: Inbreeding may be causing killer whale population decline in Pacific Northwest Research has shown that poaching in fisheries is a behavior that can spread through orca populations through social learning. . Three killer whales eat herring at the surface with a whale watching boat in the background. Orcas that feed on fish caught by trawlers are dying in record numbers after becoming trapped in nets.
Wilder Animal via Getty Images) This opportunistic feeding behavior occasionally results in entrapment, injury, and in some rare cases, death. According to the report, five orcas were captured and died in fishing gear in the five-year period between 2016 and 2020. But since January, the number of orcas that have died entangled in nets off the coast of Alaska has been higher. In a statement released Sept. 21 , NOAA Fisheries said groundfish trawlers operating in the Bering Sea and off the Aleutian Islands in the North Pacific have accidentally caught 10 orcas in fishing gear so far. anus. Only one animal was released alive, the agency said. For the other nine orcas, "NOAA Fisheries is analyzing the data collected to determine the cause of injury or death and determine which populations these whales belong to through a review of genetic information," the statement said.
Killer whales ( orca ) are highly intelligent and innovative marine mammals that can imitate and learn from each other through a process called social learning. Orcas are known to exploit human Job Function Email Database fisheries, which provide them with all-you-can-eat buffets around the world, according to a 2022 study. NOAA Fisheries Report . Longline fisheries, in which lines of baited hooks are hung to catch various species of fish, are particularly attractive, as killer whales can easily strip food from the hooks. Related: Inbreeding may be causing killer whale population decline in Pacific Northwest Research has shown that poaching in fisheries is a behavior that can spread through orca populations through social learning. . Three killer whales eat herring at the surface with a whale watching boat in the background. Orcas that feed on fish caught by trawlers are dying in record numbers after becoming trapped in nets.
Wilder Animal via Getty Images) This opportunistic feeding behavior occasionally results in entrapment, injury, and in some rare cases, death. According to the report, five orcas were captured and died in fishing gear in the five-year period between 2016 and 2020. But since January, the number of orcas that have died entangled in nets off the coast of Alaska has been higher. In a statement released Sept. 21 , NOAA Fisheries said groundfish trawlers operating in the Bering Sea and off the Aleutian Islands in the North Pacific have accidentally caught 10 orcas in fishing gear so far. anus. Only one animal was released alive, the agency said. For the other nine orcas, "NOAA Fisheries is analyzing the data collected to determine the cause of injury or death and determine which populations these whales belong to through a review of genetic information," the statement said.