A humpback whale has died after becoming entangled in the rope used for a cray pot off New Zealand’s Northland coastline.
This tragedy is documented in Fisheries New Zealand’s report on incidental captures of seabirds and protected marine species from 1 July to 30 September.
Fisheries New Zealand declined to provide exact dates or locations of the death, only confirming that it occurred in September. RNZ understands the incident happened along Northland’s east coast. Simon Lawrence, the science and information director for Fisheries New Zealand, confirmed the whale’s death. He noted that it marked the first recorded humpback whale fatality due to entanglement with cray pot buoy rope in New Zealand.
The report indicates the fisher complied with reporting requirements, notifying the Department of Conservation (DOC) and Fisheries New Zealand.
Although whale deaths from crayfish pots are uncommon, entanglements involving buoy ropes and other fishing gear are not rare.
In a separate incident from November, DOC staff freed a humpback that had been tangled in cray pot rope for 18 hours at Kaikōura.
A similar entanglement occurred off the Otago coast in June. Earlier, in February 2023, a humpback sighting near Northland’s Doubtless Bay involved a crayfish pot rope wrapped around its tail, triggering a major aerial and maritime search.
In February, Arnoux’s beaked whale—a rare species—was found tangled in oyster bag lines in Whangaroa Harbour, Northland.
The Fisheries New Zealand report also records 75 seabirds caught in the September quarter, including 15 albatrosses (up from 9 in the previous year’s same period).
Two Hector’s dolphins were caught, one off the South Island’s west coast and the other near Banks Peninsula. Six endangered New Zealand sea lions were caught in the same period, three by scampi fishers near the subantarctic Auckland Islands, and one in a set net at Stewart Island.
The New Zealand sea lion remains the world’s rarest species of sea lion, with an estimated population around 10,000 individuals.
Nearly 300 New Zealand fur seals were caught in the September quarter, up from 247 in the same quarter a year earlier.
Six sea turtles were captured, though all were released alive.
Lawrence emphasized that there is no evidence to suggest humpback whale populations are being affected by entanglements with rock lobster pot buoy ropes, and he noted that the number of humpback whales migrating through New Zealand waters appears to be rising.
DOC and the New Zealand Rock Lobster Industry Council have promoted several strategies to lower the risk posed by pot fishing gear to whales. These include educational campaigns on responsible gear management, retrieval of lost or discarded gear, avoiding known whale presence areas, knowing how to respond if a whale becomes entangled, and promptly reporting sightings.
Fisheries New Zealand offers guidance for observers who encounter an entangled whale:
- Do not approach or attempt to free the animal.
- Record the whale’s location, travel direction, and any identifying features.
- Report the sighting promptly to DOC via the 24-hour hotline 0800 DOC HOT.
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