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Orcas escape frozen-over waters
Shift in winds brings lifeline to whale pod

A pod of orcas that have been struggling to survive since becoming trapped under sea ice are safe again, after winds changed and produced openings in the water.

On Tuesday (January 8), it was reported that a dozen orcas - commonly known as killer whales - were struggling to breath in Canada's Hudson Bay, due to a lack of gaps in sea ice.

Fortunately, locals from the village of Inukjuak, where the orcas were stuck, have reported that winds have shifted overnight, pushing the ice away from the coast and opening up the water.

The bay froze over a few days ago, when the whales were thought to be hunting for seals in the bay. The unusually mild weather meant the whales were still around when the cold weather hit, and a hunter spotted them trying to find space between the ice to come up for air.

The following day locals called on the Canadian government to send icebreaker ships to help free the orcas and, otherwise, intended to launch their own rescue operation.

However, since the ice has shifted, the orcas have managed to leave the area.

Marine Researcher Lyne Morissette said this may not mean the whales have escaped danger, adding that they will have to travel more than 100 kilometres (62 miles) to reach the open waters of the northern Atlantic Ocean.

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HMRC seeks feedback on locum employment categorisation

News Story 1
 HMRC has invited feedback to its communications regarding the employment status of locum vets and vet nurses.

A letter, sent from HMRC last year, provided guidance for practices categorising the employment status of locum veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses.

It is now inviting anonymous feedback from those making employment status decisions on their communications. The survey takes 5-10 minutes to complete and closes on Friday, 6 February.

The survey can be accessed here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Survey seeks ruminant sector views on antimicrobial stewardship

A new survey is seeking views of people working in the UK ruminant sector on how to tackle the challenge of demonstrating responsible antibiotic stewardship.

Forming part of a wider, collaborative initiative, the results will help identify the types of data available so that challenges with data collection can be better understood and addressed.

Anyone working in the UK farming sector, including vets and farmers,is encouraged to complete the survey, which is available at app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk