Fish are a steady part of many human diets in the world which makes fishing necessary to sustain those diets.
But it’s important for fishermen to understand that they share the ocean space with the many creatures who call it their home.
Being neglectful of this can cause harm to them. According to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation, hundreds of thousands of whales and dolphins are accidentally killed in fishing nets and ropes around the world each year.
“The fishing industry employs many types of capture techniques, including vast walls of netting; fishing lines up to 100km long, baited with thousands of hooks; and thousands of rope lines connected to traps on the ocean floor. Together these may create potentially deadly labyrinths through which a whale or dolphin must navigate,” their website says.
Being caught up in these fishing lines can prevent a whale or dolphin from reaching the surface of the water to breathe.
Marine mammals can also tear muscles, break teeth, and sheer off fins in an attempt to escape.
And the more they struggle, the more entangled they can become. If they are able to break free, some can swim for months with fishing lines and gear wrapped around their bodies.
These tightly wound cords and dig into their flesh and cause them to die of infections for starvation if the lines get wrapped around their mouths.
Injuries sustained by fishing lines can be very painful to these animals.
Some species are even being driven to extinction because of current fishing practices, like the Hector’s dolphin, Maui dolphin, and the North Atlantic right whale.
“Fish are wildlife that play an important role in the marine environment as well as being fellow-creatures themselves. If you decide to eat fish, by eating less and being more mindful of the fish that you buy you can make a difference, helping to send a message to the fishing and retail industry to make stronger efforts to protect whales and dolphins,” WDC writes.
“To find fish with the lowest impact, look out for pole and line-caught or one-by-one fishing. Some people are making a conscious decision to stop eating fish altogether. This is a personal choice that is only open to those able to substitute fish in their diet, but it can be a powerful and positive option for some.”
It’s extremely important for fishermen to make sure they remove all of their rubbish and lines when they are done fishing and make sure none of these things get left behind or discarded during their expeditions.
It’s also imperative that fishermen don’t throw fish to dolphins, as it encourages them to hang around fishermen and increases the chases of them being caught in a fishing line.
Thankfully there are people who will help these creatures in the event that they do get entangled.
The Dolphin Discovery Center came across a calf in Koombana Bay that had some fishing lines wrapped around its tail.
Luckily, they were able to capture the calf and bring him on land so they could cut away the fishing line.
The poor sweet dolphin was scared and yelping during the process.
But in no time the rescuers were finished and were able to release the calf back into the water where it was reunited with its mother.
The mother seemed relieved that her child was returned safely. Watch this happy rescue in the video below.
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