Ocean Sentry
(From kbc.co.ke)- Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) rangers in Malindi town on Thursday rescued a humpback whale which had become entangled in a fisherman”s net five miles off the Kenyan coast in the Indian Ocean. The humpback which was 12 metres long was trapped together with its young one Wednesday night but the fishermen could not drag it to the shores due to its heavy weight.
It took over two hours of combined effort from KWS rangers, Kingfisher divers, Blue Sea Diving School divers and the fishermen to disentangle the two whales.
Speaking to the press after the rescue mission Steve Kamenino, the deputy warden at the Malindi Marine Park said the Whale was very weak due to the long night struggle to free itself.
Kamenino said they had to rescue the whale and its young one since they are protected species.
However, fishermen reacted angrily over the matter saying the rangers should have consulted them first before rescuing it.
Yunis Aboud, the Beach Management Unit (BMU) chairman said fisherman who trapped the whale had lost nets worth Ksh. 405,000 adding that it was not this was not the first time fishermen have incurred huge losses due to ‘strange fish’.
The fishermen now want the KWS to compensate them for the loss of their fishing nets.
(By KNA)
