Officials to Euthanise 90 Whales Stranded on Remote Tasmanian Beach
Failed Rescue Efforts Leave Authorities with Difficult Decision for Animal Welfare
Tasmanian authorities have announced plans to euthanise 90 surviving false killer whales after a mass stranding event near Arthur River on the state’s remote north-west coast. Out of a total of 157 stranded whales, efforts to refloat them were unsuccessful, forcing wildlife officials to make the tough call in the interest of both safety and animal welfare.
A team of marine conservation experts, including wildlife veterinarians, arrived at the site on Wednesday morning and confirmed that 90 whales remained alive. Despite attempts earlier in the day to refloat two of them, the efforts proved unsuccessful.
Shelley Graham, the incident controller at the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, stated, “Safety of the animals and our staff is our top priority. Following expert veterinary assessment, we have determined that euthanasia is necessary for animal welfare reasons.”
Kris Carlyon, the deputy incident controller, explained that euthanasia would be carried out using firearms. “It’s a difficult situation, but when we know it’s the best outcome for the animals, we’ll ensure the process is as quick and humane as possible,” he said. Authorities were first alerted to the stranding by a member of the public on Tuesday evening.
Brendon Clark, a liaison officer at the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, noted that mass strandings in the region typically involve pilot whales. However, this incident marks the first large-scale stranding of false killer whales in nearly 50 years. “We estimate these whales have been stranded for 24 to 48 hours,” Clark said at a press conference in Hobart on Wednesday morning.
Initial assessments indicated that refloating efforts would be extremely challenging due to the remote location, rough ocean conditions, and logistical difficulties in transporting specialised equipment to the site. “We have approximately 200 metres of surging tidal waters and breaking surf. Attempting to refloat the whales directly into these conditions would pose significant safety risks for our rescue teams,” Clark explained.
Authorities remain uncertain about the cause of the stranding. Aerial reconnaissance found no additional stranded whales within a 10-kilometre radius of the site.
The public has been urged to avoid the area due to an active bushfire on the state’s west coast. Officials also reminded residents that all whale species, even when deceased, are protected under Australian law, making it illegal to interfere with carcasses.
The Tasmanian environment department follows a cetacean incident manual, which was reviewed after the country’s worst recorded mass whale stranding in 2020. In that event, over 450 long-finned pilot whales became beached in Macquarie Harbour on Tasmania’s west coast.
Tasmania has seen multiple mass strandings in recent years, including two separate incidents in September 2022. The last recorded false killer whale stranding occurred in June 1974 at Black River Beach near Stanley, involving a pod of approximately 160 to 170 animals.
Despite their name, false killer whales are a highly sociable species of dolphin. They typically grow to around six metres in length and weigh between 500 kilograms and three tonnes. Their strong social bonds make them particularly vulnerable to mass stranding events, as they often follow their podmates into danger.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation while focusing on the humane management of the stranded animals.
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