Nets and Dolphins

Humpback Dolphin with a rope around it: Photo courtesy and copyright FormosaCetus Research & Conservation Group


In our September 9 post, titled Pictures from Mailiao, we showed a photo of nets and then a fishing boat in the close inshore waters off Mailiao. Nets do pose a major threat to these dolphins as shown in this post's photos !

We've received the following photos from FormosaCetus Research & Conservation Group of a humpback dolphin with a rope around it taken on September 7th just west of Mailiao Port's long pier. The humpback dolphin was swimming around and feeding near gillnets [as shown in the photos - the red and black flags or "high flyers" as they are called, mark the ends of a gillnet. The rope looks as if it is likely the leadline of a gillnet.] The rope seems to be digging into the skin a bit and maybe a fairly recent entanglement. If this dolphin can't lose the rope, it definitely will have an impact on it's life. The dolphin has been identified as TW-36.



Humpback Dolphin with a rope around it. The red and black flags or "high flyers" as they are called, mark the ends of a gillnet. The rope looks as if it is likely the leadline of a gillnet: Photos courtesy and copyright FormosaCetus Research & Conservation Group