At the start of May, a three month old dolphin calf, Halo, was found entangled in rope and fishing line in the Peel-Harvey waterways.
Although Halo has now been disentangled from most of the line, some remain.
Unfortunately Halo’s entanglement is not an isolated incident but something that we see and hear about frequently when working with dolphins.
It is not only dolphins, but also birds, whales, turtles, seals and sea lions that get entangled, with some suffering starvation, amputation and eventually an agonising death.
This is a global issue but we need to act locally.
So what can we do?
First we need to realise and educate others on the impact discarded fishing line and net, plastics and other rubbish has on wildlife.
Then we need to commit to responsibly disposing of all our fishing line and rubbish.
If you are a fisher, you can start using biodegradable fishing line, which will break down within five years, compared to the 600 years for nylon and even longer for braid and fluorocarbon lines.
My message is not a new one, but we need to spread it and act on it to eliminate the problem.
Let’s work together, each of us doing our part and a bit more, for a wildlife entanglement free Mandurah.
The MDRP is a partnership between Murdoch University, City of Mandurah and Mandurah Cruises that commenced in January 2016.
They are measuring how many dolphins use the Peel-Harvey waterways and how they are connected to dolphins in nearby coastal waters.
You can follow the MDRP on Facebook or through this fortnightly column.
