Mass stranding of pilot whales leaves City of Busselton with $11,000 bill

The stranding of 160 pilot whales in Busselton on Anzac Day which resulted in 29 dying on the shore has left the City of Busselton with a hefty bill.

The mass stranding at Toby Inlet in April saddened the country as their plight made headlines, with staff from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions working with vets from Perth Zoo and volunteers to keep the pod afloat.

After the day-long battle to save the whales, the beach was covered with the grim corpses of those who didn’t make it.

The removal of these bodies then fell to the City of Busselton, which told the Times the sum had reached $11,328.94.

A city spokesperson said the DBCA had managed the incident initially as the agency responsible for marine environments and subject matter experts.

“As the whales beached in a location under the management of the city, DBCA then provided guidance and direction to the city in relation to suggested methodology for streamlined and efficient removal,” the spokesperson said.

“Co-ordination of response and communication between DBCA and the city was effective in supporting a fast and efficient removal.”

But while the State and local government worked together on the removal, only one will have to pick up the bill.

The city spokesperson said they would be supportive of the DBCA lending a hand and would like to see the carcasses disposed of in commercial facilities instead of the city’s facilities.

A DBCA spokesperson said the State Government had a clearly defined policy position on the responsibilities for whale carcass management that the land manager was responsible for the carcass.

“The decision to remove a whale carcass is typically based on a risk assessment which considers public safety as a priority and includes engagement between the relevant land manager/local government authority, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, and the Parks and Wildlife Service,” they said.

“In alignment with national and international guidelines on cetacean carcass management, burial is a safe means of disposal in the interest of public safety.”

The spokesperson said in some instances dead whales could be towed out to sea but it was dependent on public safety, including the shark risk to swimmers on beaches and divers offshore.