Stranding reporters required

“There’s an awful lot of people out there that have a great heart and really want to help and know what happened,” said Tonya Wimmer, president and coordinator of the society.

“What we’re eventually aiming to do is have like a network of people in communities that could go and at least take the initial photos,” said Wimmer.

“The basic thing that we really need people to help us with, especially if it’s more than an hour or two from where we’re centered is to go and make sure the animal is there.”

Although many people are keen to help out when live marine animals are spotted in trouble, documenting dead ones is just as important and the society tries to document all incidences.

Some of the animals are in an advanced state decomposition but others provide evidence of being caught up in fishing gear and there are a few that raise suspicions of having been struck by a boat, exhibiting propeller marks or blunt trauma.

“We try to look at why they died and which threats are more important for which species,” said Wimmer.

The society uses the information to work with the Department of Fisheries and other organizations like the Atlantic Vet College and local museums.

Sightings of beach-cast animals are cyclical. Some years there are many; others there are none. The reports also appear to be tied in with the weather and how often people are out in it roaming the shore.





MARS, which began in 1990 as the Nova Scotia Stranding Network, changed its name recently to better reflect its mandate.

“We thought changing to marine animals would make sense but I still get calls about ducks and deer and raccoons,” laughed Wimmer.

A website is under construction, with a launch date of March: www.marineanimals.ca/">www.marineanimals.ca

If you spot a stranded marine animal or are interested in volunteering with the Marine Animal Response Society call 1-866-567-6277.



Marine Animal Response Society Statistics

- each year they have between two to four calls regarding fin whales (a federally listed species)

- between 2000 - 2005, 161 incidents involving cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) were recorded of which 41 (30 per cent) involved species listed as endangered, threatened or special concern by COSEWIC (the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada).

These included: North Atlantic right whales, leatherback turtles, harbour porpoises, fin whales and sei whales.

- of the incidents between 2000 - 2005, 67 (42 per cent) involved live animals

- in 2006, they responded to 31 incidents involving cetaceans of which eight (26 per cent) involved listed species (six incidents involved live animals).

- they respond to 50 calls of seals per year, mainly during pupping season (January - March).