'Walls of death': surge in illegal drift nets threatens endangered species

Fishing fleets are defying international ban, with deadly nets ensnaring dolphins, whales and other protected marine life Last month Carmelo Isgro received a phone call from the Italian coastguard. A 24ft sperm whale had been found thrashing about in the waters north of Sicily, desperately trying to escape a vast illegal drift net. "They asked me to help cut it loose because I have a lot of experience with these kinds of nets," says Isgro, a marine biologist and director of the Museum of the Sea in the Sicilian town of Milazzo. "So I got a very big knife and went straight away."Isgro was among a team of divers who tried for 48 hours to free the agitated female whale, as the miles-long trap gradually sliced further into her thick skin. "It was a very difficult operation because the whale was so powerful, and if you are struck by its tail you could be killed," says Isgro. The team were able to remove parts of the netting, but the whale, whose tail was still tangled up, dived deep into the ocean and they lost track. Continue reading...