East Coast whale collision leaves five fishermen injured

Public information is wanted on a whale which collided with a boat, injuring five fishermen on the East Coast. Here’s what we know >>

FIVE fishermen were injured and one was flown to hospital after their boat struck a whale in Tasmanian waters.

Tasmania Police said the men, aged in their 20s, 30s and 40s, received non-life threatening injuries and were treated by paramedics after their six-metre boat collided with a whale near Schouten Passage off the state’s East Coast.

One of the fishers was flown to hospital by the Westpac rescue chopper following the incident, which occurred about 1.30pm on Wednesday.

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The vessel was travelling from the outside of the passage to the inside, while the whale was heading east out of the bay.

The Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Wildlife and Environment’s Marine Conservation Program [MCP] were notified of the incident.

“At this stage the status and whereabouts of the whale are unknown, along with information as to the type of whale involved or any detail about any possible injuries,” A DPIPWE spokeswoman said on behalf of MCP.

“Members of the public are encouraged to keep an eye out in the area near Schouten Passage (between the Freycinet Peninsula and Schouten Island) and to report any sightings of whales, particularly any injured animal, to the WHALE hotline [phone]).”