Entanglement Responses, Outcomes & Summaries

The Hawaiian Island Disentanglement Network has grown since its inception in 2002, and now comprises over 100 participants who have received different levels of training in order to support disentanglement efforts statewide.  In addition, the network now has 5 caches of specialized equipment strategically distributed throughout the state.  Since 2002, the network has mounted dozens of on-water responses to entangled whales.  To date, 9 animals have been freed of all or significant amounts of gear, 5 animals have been assessed as not having life threatening entanglements, 3 have been unsuccessful efforts, and 11 animals were never relocated. The biggest contributor to an unsuccessful response is not relocating the animal.  If there is no standby vessel, then an entangled whale ends up being a rather large needle in an even larger haystack.

	HIHWNMS, MMHSRP Permit #932-1489

While disentanglement may help save some of these magnificent animals, it is not the long-term answer. We cannot cut every entangled whale free.  The value of disentanglement is that it provides information that might help managers, fishermen and other ocean users with the ultimate goal of lowering or at least mitigating the entanglement risk to large whales.


Explanation of Gear Removed

The Network has removed approximately 2400 feet of line (does not include netting and twine) from the 9 different humpback whales. Animals have been confirmed entangled in local fishing gear (traps and net), mooring gear, marine debris, and actively fished gear set as far away as Alaska.

		To date, six humpbacks reported entangled in Hawaii have been confirmed to have gear from Alaska.  Five of these represent commercial pot gear. The mean distance travel with this gear is at least 1200 nm.  The greatest known straight line distance a whale may have carried gear is 2350 nm (between the Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea and the island of Maui where the whale was first reported). Two animals have been confirmed entangled in marine debris.
Science and Rescue Coordinator David Mattila examines gear that was removed from a humpback. HIHWNMS, NOAA MMHSRP Permit #932-1489

Rescue Season Summaries

Find out more detailed information about rescues from the following years:

2005-2006 Rescue Season Summary

2006-2007 Rescue Season Summary

2007-2008 Rescue Season Summary

2008-2009 Rescue Season Summary

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