Necropsy completed for 8th right whale found dead

Expert teams are returning from MiscouIsland, N.B., Saturday and will examine tissue samples collected for the eighth North Atlantic right whale found dead in the Gulf of St. Lawrence since June.

Researchers conducted a necropsy on the whale on the island.Following the necropsy, the whale was buried on-site.

The Marine Animal Response Society, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and theCanadian Wildlife Health Cooperativeare trying to determine what killed thewhale.

Previous necropsies revealed some whalessuffered blunt trauma and bore signs of chronic entanglement. Collisions with vessels have been suspected as the cause of the trauma.

"It's been a very, very busy season," said Andrew Reid, the response co-ordinator for the Marine Animal Response Society.The charitable organization is dedicated to the rescue and study of marine animals.

Necropsy on eighth dead right whale of the season on Miscou Island

7 years ago

Duration 0:34

Necropsy done in northeastern New Brunswick to determine how whale died

Reid said tissue analysis of the eighth whale will take several weeks.

It's not known when a preliminary statement regarding the eighth right whale will be released.

Reid said the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is still documenting a right whale foundentangled.

• Dead right whales show evidence of collision with vessels, wildlife pathologist says

It's not knownif rescue attempts were made to help this whale. The departmenthas since backed away from rescue efforts since the death of whale rescuer JoeHowlett last week.

On Thursday, the department said it was closing the snow crab fishery in Area 12 off northern New Brunswick in response to the latest whale death.

The harvest was already 98 per cent complete, the department said.