Nearly a week after a fin whale carcass washed up near a visitors’ centre on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia’s Department of Natural Resources has agreed to remove the rotting mammal.
Natural Resources Minister Zach Churchill said the government is worried that the strong odour will impact businesses in the area. The carcass is decomposing on the shore below the Port Hastings visitor information centre.
One local councillor described the smell as “a cross between bad cheese, bad feet and death.”
Churchill told CTV Atlantic that the DNR will get to work soon on removing the whale because rising temperatures have “obviously increased the discomfort for residents and for people coming to and from our tourism bureau.”
“We’re worried that’s going to impact business going to Cape Breton, so we will be removing the whale from the site,” he said.
Even though the carcass has been decaying for nearly a week, no one claimed responsibility for removing it until Wednesday.
Area business owners and politicians are relieved that the carcass will soon be gone.
“Right up over the hill we have a museum and one of their major fundraisers for the year is the baby barn that sells ice cream outside,” said Victoria County Coun. Dwayne MacDonald.
“I can’t imagine stopping there, standing right here and smelling what I’m smelling right now – the last thing on my mind is stopping there to buy an ice cream on the way home.”
The cost of removing the whale carcass is estimated to be as much as $10,000.
With a report from CTV Atlantic
