EMERGENCY · CONTROLLED DOCUMENT
AE-SOP-0430 — Stranding & Entanglement Response
To respond to stranded, entangled, and injured marine animals in the field, freeing and stabilising them in place under veterinary direction. The procedure guarantees that responder safety and the non-captivity absolute are never compromised, that triage directs effort to animals that can be saved, and that every cetacean is freed and released in place — never taken aboard — because the League's hand reaches an animal to free it, not to hold it.
ActiveEmergencyRev C
Doc Control AE-SOP-0430Revision CEffective 2090-06-04Next Review 2091-06-04Owner Veterinary LeadApprover Fleet AdmiraltyStatus ActiveClass RESTRICTED // TIDEWATER-EYES-ONLY
1. Purpose
To respond to stranded, entangled, and injured marine animals in the field, freeing and stabilising them in place under veterinary direction. The procedure guarantees that responder safety and the non-captivity absolute are never compromised, that triage directs effort to animals that can be saved, and that every cetacean is freed and released in place — never taken aboard — because the League's hand reaches an animal to free it, not to hold it.
2. Scope
All field response to strandings, entanglements, and injured marine animals.
- In scope: Response triage, safe approach, disentanglement, in-place stabilisation, release, and aftercare referral.
- Out of scope: The non-captivity policy and pod-defence framing, which follow AE-SOP-0405; gear handling where recovered net is evidence, which follows AE-SOP-0320.
3. Definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Entanglement | An animal caught in netting, line, or debris, requiring disentanglement in place. |
| Stranding | A live or distressed animal grounded or stranded, requiring stabilisation and refloat where viable. |
| Triage Category | The field assessment directing effort — releasable, stabilise, or beyond aid — under veterinary direction. |
| Release in Place | Freeing and releasing the animal at or near the site; no cetacean is ever taken aboard. |
| Responder Safety Zone | The standoff and handling discipline that keeps responders clear of a distressed animal's reach. |
4. Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|
| Veterinary Lead (Owner) | Owns the response; directs triage and authorises stabilisation and release decisions. |
| Response Team Lead | Manages the scene, holds the responder safety zone, and executes disentanglement. |
| Marine Mammal Observer | Identifies the animal and confirms the non-captivity and release-in-place discipline. |
| NEREID | Logs the stranding report, dispatches the nearest qualified response, and correlates events with known entanglement gear. |
5. Stranding Response Triage
| Situation | Triage Category | Permitted Action | Disposition |
|---|
| Entangled, otherwise healthy | Releasable | Disentangle in place | Release at site |
| Stranded, refloatable | Stabilise | Support, refloat on tide | Release in place |
| Injured, treatable in field | Stabilise | Field aid under vet direction | Release or aftercare referral |
| Beyond field aid | Beyond aid | Minimise suffering, document | Vet-directed, never captive hold |
Note. No category — not even severe injury — justifies taking a cetacean into captivity; the animal is freed and released in place, and responder safety is never traded for response speed.
6. Materials & Equipment
- Disentanglement tools — cutters, grapples, control lines
- Refloat support gear and pontoons
- Veterinary field-aid and triage kit
- Responder safety and standoff equipment
- Species identification reference
- Stranding report and dispatch channel
7. Procedure
7.1 Dispatch & Assess
- Dispatch the nearest qualified response on the stranding report.
- Hold the responder safety zone before any approach.
- Triage the animal under veterinary direction.
7.2 Free & Stabilise
- Disentangle releasable animals in place.
- Support and refloat strandings on the tide where viable.
- Render field aid to treatable injuries under vet direction.
7.3 Release
- Free and release every animal in place — no cetacean is ever taken aboard.
- Refer aftercare where in-place release is not immediately possible.
- Document the response and note recovered gear for evidence handling.
8. Records
- Stranding / entanglement response report (retained 5 years)
- Triage and disposition record
- Disentanglement and refloat log
- Responder safety and incident record
- Recovered-gear and aftercare referral notes
9. References
10. Revision History
| Rev | Date | Author | Summary |
|---|
| A | 2088-07-09 | Veterinary Lead | Initial issue; field disentanglement and release-in-place established. |
| B | 2089-08-30 | Veterinary Lead | Added triage categories and responder safety-zone discipline. |
| C | 2090-06-04 | Veterinary Lead | NEREID dispatch routing and entanglement-gear correlation added. |