Joe Howlett: Canadian Fisherman Killed by Whale He Rescued

"Joe definitely would not want us to stop because of this. This is something he loved and there's no better feeling than getting a whale untangled, and I know how good he was feeling after cutting that whale clear", Green said. Whales typically roll over to escape, and rescuers could get dragged over the side of the boat or also entangled and dragged under by the whale.

Joe Howlett, 59, was known as an "irreplaceable member of the whale rescue community" by the Canadian government.

"Mr. Howlett's notable experience and contribution to whale rescue include his very recent and critical role in successfully freeing an entangled whale on July 5", said LeBlanc.

His remarks were echoed by Jerry Conway, an adviser to the Canadian Whale Institute in Campobello.

Whale disentanglements can take up to an hour and usually require four to five people working together to free the animal.

LeBlanc told CTV News that Ottawa is now investigating Howlett's death.

Currently, there are only about 500 North Atlantic right whales left on the planet and seven were found dead in the Gulf of St. Lawrence just a week ago.

The Canadian Wildlife Health Co-operative issued a statement Thursday saying two necropsies were performed earlier this week in the Magdalen Islands, and while one right whale carcass was too decomposed for a preliminary diagnosis, the second had marks of blunt trauma. Activists like Howlett cut right whales lose from the nets when they become entangled.

North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered, with about 525 estimated to still be alive.

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has since issued a statement expressing their condolences to the veteran fisherman's family for their loss. It was because of the nature of the accident that the NOAA saw it fit to halt the large whale entanglement rescue efforts to review their current emergency response protocols.

The department said efforts to untangle other whales will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Further, the NOAA will continue with their efforts to rescue other marine mammals in distress during the suspension.

Whale rescue is an immensely risky and unsafe process, dealing with the large marine animals who are often terrified and eager to escape from whatever they are trapped in, usually commercial fishing gear.