Killer Whales Raid Trevalla Lines

Sunday, December 12, 2004
TASMANIA – Killer whales have developed a taste for Tasmanian blue-eye trevalla.

Fishermen who work the ocean south of Tasmania say the killer whales have been diving behind long-line fishing boats to pluck the premium deep-sea fish off hooks.

And they have been eating up to four tonnes of the catch every day.

Mures Fishing director Will Mure said yesterday he had lost a significant percentage of his blue-eye catch in recent weeks, with many fishermen losing 2-1/2 tonnes out of every three tonnes caught.

"We've always had sporadic periods of whales taking fish, but it used to be only once every two years or so.

"Now it's getting more intense, quite full on," Mr Mure said.

"They're incredible creatures and to watch them is amazing and it does give you a sense of awe and privilege to see them.

"But then on the other hand you watch your fish being taken by the killer whales and they'll take sometimes up to 80 or 90 per cent of the catch in one hit."

Mr Mure said he had been forced to keep a lookout for pods of killer whales to try to avoid them by moving to other fishing areas.

But he said the whales weren't easily tricked.

"They can recognise the sounds of different boats and they know which boats fish for blue-eye," he said.

"They dive down the line and pluck the fish off the lines."

Mr Mure said the whales were clever enough to avoid the hooks.

"We have never had a whale caught on the line.

"You pull the lines in and all that's left is a pair of lips on the hook."

Another long-line fishing boat skipper Phillip Hough told ABC Radio that killer whales had always caused problems for fishermen but there seemed to be more of them this year.

Mr Hough said the whales also seemed to be getting smarter -- and hungrier.

He said pods of up to eight or nine whales had been following his boat almost every day and eating his blue-eye catch.

"We do certain things on the boat and they seem to know exactly when you start to pull your fishing gear aboard," Mr Hough said.

Blue-eye was selling yesterday for $28.90 a kilo and Mr Mure said that if the whales kept taking the fish there might soon be less trevalla on the menu.

Source: The Sunday Tasmanian