The carcass of a 50-ton whale was removed from a beach on the Danish island of Rømø yesterday, ending a grim saga that began with a failed rescue attempt by German authorities. The fin whale, a protected species, beached itself on Thursday near the German port of List. Rescuers from the German Marine Mammal Protection Society worked through high tides and strong currents for 15 hours, but the animal died just before midnight.
On Friday, the Danish Nature Agency took over, using a crane and lorry to haul the 18-metre carcass to a landfill for incineration. The cost of the removal, estimated at £40,000, will be split between Germany and Denmark. Local residents expressed frustration.
We pay taxes for this? Our grandparents would have used the meat and bone," said fisherman Erik Sørensen.
Marine biologist Dr. Hanne Jensen of the University of Copenhagen said the rescue was doomed from the start. The whale was already severely dehydrated and had internal injuries.
Euthanasia would have been more humane," she said. The whale's stomach contained plastic bags and fishing nets.
Conservation groups say shipping noise and plastic pollution are pushing whales closer to shore. This is the third fin whale stranding in the North Sea this year.
