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Vaquita. Photo Thomas Jefferson

Scientific Committee gives first ever official species extinction warning

Photo: Thomas Jefferson We have welcomed the urgent call by experts to protect the vaquita...
blue whale

Whale fossil from Peru may have been heavier than blue whale

Scientists examining the bones of a 39 million-year-old ancient whale have concluded that it may...
Humpback whale © Christopher Swann

Humpback whales breach in synchronisation

Humpback whales are renowned for their incredible acrobatic displays, but a family in the USA...
Long-finned pilot whale

Unusual activity witnessed before pilot whale stranding

Just days after a pod of long-finned pilot whales stranded on an island in the...

Orcas stalk Alaskan fishermen for easy meal

Fishermen from Alaska heading for the Bering Sea are having to cope with pods of orcas feeding on their catch before it can be hauled onboard.

Halibut and black cod are caught using longlines but the orcas are capable of stripping a whole line clean, sometimes just leaving the habibut lips on the hooks. Orcas are highly intelligent and appear to learn which boats to follow, and even listen out for the sound of the winch as the catch is hauled in. One fisherman has reported being followed for almost two days by a pod before he gave up trying to set his hooks. The fishermen are faced with the cost of both the lost catch and the fuel needed to reach the fishing areas far from land.

Proposals have now been put forward to examine the true extent of the problem, and also look at ways to protect the catch from the whales, such as using pots. In other parts of the world orcas have learnt to take tuna, sharks and swordfish from lines set by fishermen.