South African Whale Disentanglement Network

The South African Whale Disentanglement Network (SAWDN) is a non-profit organization, collaborating with local and international organizations to reduce the suffering of entangled cetaceans, by releasing entrapped cetaceans in active fishing gear (including abandoned, lost or discarded gear). SAWDN provides a dedicated rescue action plan to assist entangled whales, prevent injuries and reduce mortalities to whales by removing gear as safely as possible. At the same time they collect data for international and national reporting of statistics to the International Whaling Commission and scientific purposes. SAWDN is also committed to working with the fishing industry to reduce entanglements. The network consists of multiple organizations in South Africa, including NSRI, SA National Parks, Mammal Research Institute, CapeNature, amongst many others. Telephone: 0726619516