Biotemas (Jun 2011)
Entanglements of right whales, Eubalaena australis (Cetacea, Mysticeti), in the 2010 breeding season in Santa Catarina state, Brazil
Abstract
Right whales (Eubalaena australis) have been suffering with anthropogenic activities such as pollution, marine traffic and entanglement in fishing nets. The entanglement of right whales grows each breeding season on the southern coast of Santa Catarina state, and can cause strands and even death. During the 2010 breeding season, six entanglements among immature and adult whales were recorded. In most of the cases, the whales kept swimming slowly and didn’t want to approximate the whale watching boat. Fishing activities in the area during the right whale breeding season need to be regularized to avoid conflicts and injuries to the whales.
