Beached whale’s jaw chainsawed off by suspected poacher near Ballina

Rescuers have been left “disgusted” after a beached whale’s carcass was mutilated in a horrific act of a suspected poaching on a NSW beach.

Rescuers have been left “disgusted” after a beached whale’s carcass was mutilated in a horrific act of suspected poaching on a NSW beach this week.

Jools Farrell, the Vice President of Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) told news.com.au a sperm whale had died after becoming beached at Patchs Beach in South Ballina last Friday.

The whale was stranded in a remote location only accessible by 4x4 vehicles, about 2km walk from any nearby roads.

She said after receiving reports about the sperm whale’s stranding, rescuers arrived the following day to find it had died. She said it was a fully grown, 17m long, 54 tonne male whale.

Rescuers and crew from ORRCA were returning to the whale each day and worked with National Parks and Wildlife on plans to remove the whale.

However two days after their arrival, they returned to find its jaw had been sawn off by an unknown person.

“Someone had come in at night after the whale had been there for two days,” Ms Farrell said. “They’d come in and had a chainsaw and took a portion of the jaw.”

“I was absolutely disgusted. It shows such lack of respect for a beautiful marine creature.

“To die on a beach, and then to have part of its jaw hacked off. It’s really quite upsetting,” she said.

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A rescuer said she was disgusted after the whale was cut apart with a chainsaw. Picture: ORRCA/Graham Harris

The suspected poaching is being investigated. Picture: ORRCA/Graham Harris

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She said sperm whales have teeth made of valuable ivory and even a single tooth can be sold for a high price. However she said taking the teeth or interfering with marine creatures is a crime.

“Even one tooth is worth a lot of money … on the black market.

“It’s akin to rhino poaching. It could be used for potions, or jewellery. Or they could be souveneir hunters who could say ‘Oh look what I’ve got’.”

“And it is illegal to do such an act and they‘re are quite substantial fines for interfering with any marine creature on a beach.”

Ms Farrell said the incident is a crime under the Biodiversity Act, and is being investigated by National Park and Wildlife and the NSW Police.