PVC Pipe Saves Shark from Jaws of Life
CAPE BYRON MARINE PARK, New South Wales, Australia, July 17, 2008 (VNS) – An endangered grey nurse shark was freed from a giant gaff hook with the help of a PVC pipe, in New South Wales, Australia.
For two weeks the injured female shark had been swimming near Julian Rocks in the Cape Byron Marine Park with a pole protruding from its mouth.
A rescue team from a nearby Sea World, the NSW Fisheries Department and the Marine Parks Authority roped a noose around the distressed shark and tired her out, then coaxed her into an acrylic tube.
Then the shark was lifted from the water and placed in a 4,000 litre tank, turning her over to place her in a dormant state.
At this point a PVC pipe was inserted into her mouth, wide enough to contain and protect the arm of veterinarian David Blyde. He located a large U-shaped gaff at the other end of the pole, embedded in the shark's esophagus.
Blyde worked 45 minutes in a delicate procedure to detach the gaff hook from the shark.
Antibiotics were then administered to the shark, and a tracking device was attached which will remain on the shark for 90 days, allowing researchers to monitor her movements and recovery. Once released, the shark was seen swimming vigorously to re-unite with its school of eight other sharks.
Grey nurse sharks are an endangered species, with only an estimated 500 remaining in New South Wales waters.
Remarked Greg Bocchi, President of The Vinyl Institute, headquartered in Arlington, Va., "Credit should go to the brave and skillful veterinarian who dislodged the gaff hook from the mouth of this endangered animal. And the strong, rigid PVC pipe helped protect him during this difficult procedure while he saved this endangered shark."
The Vinyl Institute represents the leading manufacturers involved in the production of vinyl plastic in the United States, and promotes the value of vinyl to society.
For related links to this story, go to the Florida Museum of Natural History.
For more information, contact:
Jeffrey B. Palmer
Director of Marketing & Communications
The Vinyl Institute (703) 741-5669
jeff_palmer@plastics.org