Native Hawaiian group upset over NOAA handling of dead sperm whale on Kauai

By Web staff

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    HONOLULU (KITV) — A Native Hawaiian organization says its upset over the recent handling and disposal of a sperm whale that washed up on Kauai’s shoreline in late January.

The group, Kia’i Kanaloa, believes the disposal of the whale remains should have been done with more aloha and respect for the animal. The group says NOAA Fisheries did not have the capacity or resources to properly care for the whale but the “greed” for science made the organization overlook this.

In response, NOAA told KITV4 in a statement:

“Ultimately, federal and county officials prioritized human health and safety, including zoonotic disease and shark risk in considering a final resting place for the whale. Our hope is that we can continue to work together with Native Hawaiian practitioners and other community members in an open and productive manner as we move forward.”

The 56-foot sperm whale first washed ashore at Kauai’s Lydgate Beach on Saturday, Jan. 28. A necropsy of the animal, scientists discovered six hagfish traps, seven types of fishing net, two types of plastic bags, a light protector, fishing line and a float from a net all inside the whale’s stomach.

Kristi West, the director of the University of Hawaii’s Health and Stranding Lab, said there were enough foreign objects in the opening of the whale’s intestinal tract to block food, according to reporting by the Associated Press.

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