PICS: Model whales used to train for mass strandings

31 May 2016 - 11:28 By TMG Digital

Two lifelike model whales were used in simulations during a training session on rescue procedures for stranded cetaceans held at the weekend in Cape Town’s Strandfontein beach. It covered “support care and stabilisation aimed at preventing live stranded animals from dying and reducing stress”‚ a Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) statement said.It also involved “procedures to increase their chances of survival once they are returned to sea for example by helping them regain equilibrium in the water”.“One of the model whales was lifted in a stretcher by a front-end loader using a specialised frame and placed onto a trailer which was then transported to the Strandfontein pool to ‘prepare and acclimatise it for release’.” These procedures have been adopted under the National Response Plan developed by the South African Stranding Network (SASN) and coordinated by the DEA. “The establishment of the SASN was galvanised by a sizable mass stranding of false killer whales at Long Beach‚ Kommetjie in 2009‚ where the need for well-trained personnel and specialised equipment available at short notice was highlighted‚” the DEA said.“Species such as the false killer whale‚ pilot whale‚ sperm whale and Risso’s dolphin are among the cetaceans most commonly involved in mass stranding events worldwide‚” it explained.“These cetaceans have in common that they are predominantly open-ocean dwellers and are highly gregarious. Therefore their tendency to mass strand has generally been attributed to their strong social bonds and their unfamiliarity with coastal environments when they occasionally venture inshore.” Participating in the training session on Saturday were 90 members of the SASN‚ National Sea Rescue Institute volunteers from six bases‚ rangers of Table Mountain National Park‚ personnel from Two Oceans Aquarium‚ the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals‚ the South African Police Servide‚ seabird rehabilitation group SANCCOB‚ the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries‚ the DEA and the City of Cape Town. The training sessions will be annual events “to train or retrain personnel who will collectively respond to strandings and ensure that the appropriate infrastructure‚ manpower and expertise are available to respond at short notice to any local mass stranding events”.“Enhancing partnerships through such training initiatives between government-‚ non-governmental organisation-‚ and private sector stakeholders as well as members of the public‚ are vital‚” said Cape Town mayoral committee member for energy‚ environmental and spatial planning‚ Councillor Johan van der Merwe.“We are doing everything in our power to improve our sustainability best practices and to preserve our oceans and its important marine life.” – TMG Digital..

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