Report: Killer whales 'harass' fishermen, steal fish

By Ray Downs | June 21, 2017 at 1:29 AM



June 21 (UPI) -- Pods of killer whales are "harassing" fishermen in Alaska, forcing them to leave the area and lose 20,000 to 30,000 pounds of fish per day.

"It's kind of like a primordial struggle," fisherman Buck Laukitis told the Anchorage Daily News. "It comes at a real cost."

Fishermen say killer whales in the Bering Sea are able to recognize certain fishing boats. Pods of up to 50 whales or more will then swoop in and strip the fishermens' hooks clean. They sometimes then surround the boat or chase it down if it tries to move to another area.

. . .

Although fishermen are losing money because of whales. overfishing could also be killing killer whales, according to Junichi Sato of Greenpeace Japan.

More:
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2017/06/21/Report-Killer-whales-harass-fishermen-steal-fish/6011498022455/?utm_source=sec&utm_campaign=sl&utm_medium=1