Whale tracking buoys will be used off WA’s coastline to track and reduce the number of whales entangled in fishing gear by providing authorities with real-time locations.
The new technology was developed by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development scientists, with $73,000 in funding from the Australian Department of the Environment and Energy.
The Western Rock Lobster Council has also provided an additional $20,000 for the purchase of 10 buoys.
The technology allows responders from the Parks and Wildlife Service at the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions to remotely monitor the whale before safely attempting a disentanglement.
A total of 10 trackable buoys have been provided to specialist whale disentanglement teams at strategic locations between Esperance and Broome, including three in Perth.
Environment Minister Stephen Dawson said about 35,000 whales were currently migrating from Antarctic waters to calving areas in the Kimberley.
Mr Dawson said previously, it was extremely difficult to find an entangled whale off the WA coast once it was lost from sight.
“Some opportunities to rescue distressed animals were missed as it was unsafe to attempt disentanglement due to poor weather and light,” he said.
“This new technology allows time for disentanglements to be carried out in safe weather conditions and with sufficient daylight, while being aware of the whale’s location at all times.”
Fisheries Minister Dave Kelly said during the whale migration, whales travelled through a number of commercial and recreational fisheries, occasionally becoming entangled in fishing gear.
Mr Kelly said whale disentanglements from lobster fishing gear had steadily decreased from 17 in 2013 to six in 2017 due to gear modification.
“It is pleasing to see that the rock lobster industry is showing its commitment to protecting whales further by funding these buoys,” he said.
“The development and deployment of this technology demonstrated the WA Government’s commitment to working with the fishing industry to investigate new measures to minimise entanglements along the coast.”
Western Rock Lobster chief executive officer Matt Taylor said with increasing whale populations, it was their responsibility to help develop measures to reduce interactions with local marine life and the whale tracking buoys was a great initiative.
Mr Taylor said they had seen whale entanglement numbers reduce over recent years due to the modification of fishers’ gear, which had seen a 66 per cent reduction in entanglements.
He said they had also regularly communicated best practice fishing to their members to ensure they understood how to deal with and prevent whale entanglements.
“Entanglement of marine life is an important issue for our industry, and we will continue to monitor, respond and innovate to reduce whale entanglements,” he said.
In 2017, a whale tracking buoy prototype was used to track an entangled whale.
The whale was successfully freed from fishing gear as a direct result of the device’s ability to send real-time information to DPIRD’s disentanglement team.
Mr Taylor said the new technology tracked a whale’s movements and enabled a trained team of professionals to monitor any whale which had become entangled to safely deal with the situation.
“Once the buoys were deployed, the whale disentanglement team could take a more considered approach in the rescue of whales by determining the best time of day, weather conditions and the complexity of the entanglement.”
Mr Taylor said the buoys would have a significant, positive impact on the fishing industry.
“We are global leaders in sustainable, innovative fisheries management,” he said.
“We have been trusted with our ocean for generations and do our very best to protect and preserve our wonderful, local marine environment.
“This new technology is a great example of our dedication to maintaining a sustainable lobster fishery.”
