NOAA Fisheries News Releases
NEWS RELEASE
August 14, 2007
Sheela McLean
(907) 586-7032
Whale Talk Planned at New NOAA Research Center
NOAA whale expert Ed Lyman will give a public talk on whale disentanglement at the new Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute at Lena Point in Juneau, in second floor conference room 256, starting at 6 p.m. August 22.
“We’ll cover how it’s done and what we have learned,” Lyman said. “While it is important to try and free these endangered animals from life-threatening entanglements, it is just as important to gather information on the entanglement itself. Answering questions like where and when the entanglement occurred, how the animal became entangled, and what gear or debris was involved, plus working with fishermen, may help us to reduce entanglement rates. Disentanglement by itself is not a long-term answer: reducing the rate of entanglement will ultimately help whales and fishermen more.”
Whale disentanglement specialist Lyman is ‘on loan’ from the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, spending his second summer season in Juneau training others about whale disentanglement, responding to entangled whales, assisting with response preparedness for the Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and learning about Alaska fishing gear and practices from local fishermen.
Last year, Lyman was involved in three on-the-water disentanglement efforts, which culminated in a very successful team effort involving many agencies, organizations, and fishermen working together to free a humpback entangled in gillnet . “This year has been relatively quiet so far,” he said. “We’ve had fewer confirmed reports.”
Lyman’s talk will follow immediately on the heels of an August 21 public open house at the new Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute. The August 22 evening whale talk will run for about an hour, plus time for questions.NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries Service) is dedicated to protecting and preserving our nation’s living marine resources through scientific research, management, enforcement, and the conservation of marine mammals and other protected marine species and their habitat. To learn more about NOAA Fisheries in Alaska, please visit our websites at: www.fakr.noaa.gov or at: www.afsc.noaa.gov.