THE Wildlife Scientific Authority (WSA) says it has noted with concern the repeated entanglement of whales in fishing nets in recent times, resulting in the death of two whales. 

In a media release, the WSA said that while the cause of the entanglement is to be determined, it is reasonably sure of the cause of death of both whales.
To prevent the death of the animals in future, the WSA has advised that fisherfolk should utilise their expert/traditional knowledge to determine onsite if a large animal entangled in their nets is a marine mammal or fish.It noted that the requirement for mammals to surface to breathe air would be a guide in this regard.
Additionally,WSA stated, if it is determined that there is a marine mammal in a net,fisherfolk must take no action to free the animal,but should immediately inform one or more of the following persons of the incident:
*         Mr Denzil Roberts, Chief Fisheries Officer, Fisheries Division – 225-9559; 641-9331;
*         Mr. Sean Mendonca, Senior Environmental Officer, EPA – 225 5467;
*         Mr. Calvin Bernard, Chairman, Wildlife Scientific Authority – 617-4288; and
*         Ms. Alona Sankar, Head, Wildlife Division – 223-0940; 624-0049 (after working hours only).
Further,   if a marine mammal is observed stranded on land, the persons listed above should be contacted immediately.Once contact is made with any of these individuals,efforts would then be made to coordinate resources—human and otherwise— to rescue and free the animal with minimal damage to both animal and gear.