A rare southern right whale has been successfully freed after becoming entangled in fishing gear off Rakiura/Stewart Island.
Local fishers spotted the entangled animal on Saturday morning and immediately reported it to the Department of Conservation. Their swift action allowed the whale to be located and monitored until a specialist response team could arrive.
A Department of Conservation disentanglement team travelled from Kaikōura to lead the complex rescue operation. The whale was successfully released on Tuesday afternoon.
CRA8 Rock Lobster Industry Association chief executive Kathryn Molloy praised the actions of the local fishing community.
“Our fishers did exactly the right thing, and today's outcome is a testament to what happens when people who work on the water take their responsibilities seriously,” Molloy said.
