Following rescue operations for 157 false killer whales that became stranded near Arthur River, Tasmania, authorities confirmed that the remaining 90 that are still showing signs of life will be euthanised.
Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service Incident Controller Shelley Graham confirmed that expert veterinary assessment determined that euthanasia is necessary for animal welfare reasons.
Marine conservation experts, including wildlife veterinarians, attempted to relocate and refloat the live whales.
“Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful with that, as the ocean conditions were preventing the animals from getting out,” Graham said, adding that the forecast for the next two days show similar conditions.
The Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE) said response efforts were also complicated by the site’s inaccessibility.
“Stranding response in this area is complex due to the inaccessibility of the site, ocean conditions and the challenges of getting specialist equipment to the remote area,” the department told The Epoch Times.
The department also reminded the public that all whales are protected species, even after death, and it is illegal to interfere with carcasses.
Brandon Clark, Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service’s liason officer, said earlier that initial assessments indicate that refloating would be difficult due to the beach’s inaccessibility making it difficult to transport specialised equipment.
“At this stage, we do not know why these animals have stranded, and we won’t be speculating,” he said.
“The team on the ground will be conducting post mortem investigations and sampling of deceased animals in an attempt to determine some reasoning behind the stranding.”
False killer whales are the second largest dolphin after orcas. They are migratory and usually roam in open water.
They are believed to have already been stranded for 24 to 48 hours.
Mass strandings are common on Tasmania’s west coast, but experts believe this is the first recorded instance of false killer whales stranding in the region in 50 years.
Bushfires Worsen Conditions
The whale rescue operation is currently constrained due to severe bushfires that have been burning across Tasmania for more than two weeks. Nearly 100,000 hectares of land already scorched.The fires, which have affected the Tarkine rainforest and Cradle Mountain’s alpine ecosystems, have stretched emergency services to their limits.
The fires began with a massive lightning storm on Feb. 3, continuing a trend of increasing lightning-induced fires in Tasmania since the 1990s.
Tasmanians are also facing hazardous air quality due to the smoke, with warnings in place for the north and north-west regions.
Director of Public Health, Dr. Mark Veitch, urged residents to take precautions.
“I encourage all Tasmanians to be aware of their surroundings and know how to stay safe when it is smoky from bushfires,” Veitch said.
Authorities expect smoky conditions to persist as the fires continue to burn.
