Fisherman fined $500 for disentangling whale

By Associated Press

A Cape Cod fisherman has been fined $500 for violating federal law by freeing a humpback whale that got tangled in his fishing gear.

Robert Eldridge of Chatham was sentenced in federal court in Boston on Wednesday for violating the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. He had faced a yearlong jail term and up to $100,000 in fines in connection with the July 2008 incident, but reached a deal with prosecutors earlier this month.

Prosecutors said the 40-year-old Eldridge should have called properly licensed rescuers instead of freeing the marine mammal himself. The whale swam away.

Eldridge’s lawyer said as part of the plea, his client also issued a written warning to other fishermen to be vigilant for whales.