Kruzer je 19. juna pristao u Seward, Aljaska, sa 61-stopnim ženskim fin kitom naslonjenim na pramcu. Lokalne službe su kit izvukle na obalu i pripremaju nekropsiju zajedno sa Alaska SeaLife Center, a početni nalazi ukazuju da je kit bila trudna. NOAA Office of Law Enforcement vodi istragu, dok aktivisti zahtevaju obavezna ograničenja brzine u zonama pojavljivanja kitova kako bi se smanjili sudari brodova.
Uginuli trudni fin kit pronađen na pramcu kruzera pristiglog u Seward, Aljaska
Dead endangered whale discovered on bow of cruise ship in Alaska dock
Kruzer je pristao u luku Seward na Aljasci 19. juna sa uginulim, ugroženim fin kitom naslonjenim na bulbous pramac, saopštila je Nacionalna služba za morske ribe (NOAA Fisheries) 21. juna. Kit je bio ženka duga oko 61 stopu (oko 18,6 m).
Pripreme za nekropsiju i istraga
Lokalna firma je povukla kit na obližnju plažu gde timovi NOAA Fisheries i Alaska SeaLife Center pripremaju mesto za nekropsiju — obdukciju životinje — kako bi se utvrdio tačan uzrok smrti. NOAA je saopštila da početni nalazi ukazuju da je kit bila trudna.
Federalna agencija je pozvala javnost da se drži podalje od mesta nekropsije „radi vaše bezbednosti i da timu ostavimo prostora za izvođenje pregleda i prikupljanje uzoraka“. NOAA Office of Law Enforcement vodi istragu o incidentu i moli sve koji imaju informacije da kontaktiraju njihovu 24-časovnu liniju.
Reakcije i zahtevi za preventivnim merama
Cooper Freeman, direktor kancelarije za Aljasku iz nevladine organizacije Center for Biological Diversity, oštro je kritikovao okolnosti i zatražio detaljnu istragu. Freeman i drugi aktivisti pozivaju na uvođenje obaveznog ograničenja brzine u „žarištima“ gde se kitovi često sreću, navodeći da takve mere znatno smanjuju rizik od sudara sa brodovima.
O vrstama i prijetnjama
Fin kitovi su, posle plavih kitova, druga najveća vrsta kitova i prema NOAA klasifikovani su kao ugrožena vrsta. Odrasli primerci mogu dostići i do oko 85 stopa (≈25,9 m) i težiti između 40 i 80 tona. Iako je komercijalni kitolov smanjen i populacije su delimično oporavljene, fin kitovi i dalje su ugroženi sudarima sa brodovima, zapetljavanjima u ribarska pomagala, podvodnim bukom i klimatskim promenama.
Vrste morskih sisara zaštićene su federalnim Zakonom o zaštiti morskih sisara (Marine Mammal Protection Act), koji zabranjuje uznemiravanje, hvatanje i druge štetne radnje.
Širi kontekst
Prema podacima organizacije International Marine Mammal Project, procenjuje se da godišnje oko 20.000 kitova u svetu strada u sudarima sa brodovima. Sudari su naročito česti u prometnim pomorskim koridorima, blizu velikih luka i duž migracionih ruta.
U poslednjih nekoliko godina zabeležene su serije smrtnih slučajeva kitova u SAD i globalno: od smrti više od 20 jedinki krajem 2022. i početkom 2023., preko izveštaja NOAA o višestrukim smrtnim slučajevima severnoatlantskih pravih kitova u 2024., do potvrde o 24 uginula kita u većem području zaliva San Franciska 2025. godine. Raniji incidenti uključuju i slučaj kitova pronađenih na pramcima drugih brodova, kao i kontroverzni pokušaj spašavanja grbavog kita "Timmy" u Baltičkom moru koji je pratio snažnu medijsku pažnju i podeljena mišljenja naučnika.
Šta dalje?
Istraga NOAA Office of Law Enforcement je u toku. Do objave konačnih nalaza necropsije i rezultata istrage, stručnjaci i aktivisti ponavljaju pozive na strože mere plovidbe, bolje praćenje velikih sisara i primenu ograničenja brzine u kritičnim zonama kako bi se sprečile slične tragedije.
NOAA i Alaska SeaLife Center su kontaktirani za dodatne informacije; javnost se poziva da poštuje zabranu prilaska mestu nekropsije.
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