A humpback whale, likely lured by a trawling net capturing masses of Antarctic krill, became entangled last month and died in the Southern Ocean. Three dead juveniles were caught in the same company¡¯s krill nets last year.
Scientists say the humpbacks may have been malnourished while forced to compete for food with a burgeoning industry harvesting the tiny crustaceans ¡ª the linchpin in the Antarctic food web ¡ª for use in pharmaceuticals and fish feed.
The fishing company, Norway¡¯s Aker BioMarine, said these were its first cases of whale bycatch in 15 years of harvesting krill in Antarctica, and that it has since reinforced its ships¡¯ devices for keeping marine mammals out of its nets.
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