▁as ▁s ash imi , ▁or ▁as ▁ste aks ▁that ▁are ▁mar in ated , ▁cut ▁into ▁small ▁ch unks , ▁and ▁gr illed . ▁The ▁meat ▁is ▁high ▁in ▁protein ▁and ▁low ▁in ▁fat ▁( a ▁wh ale ' s ▁fat ▁is ▁contained ▁in ▁the ▁layer ▁of ▁bl ub ber ▁beneath ▁the ▁skin ). ▁It ▁is ▁considered ▁integral ▁to ▁certain ▁cult ures . ▁When ▁gr illed , ▁the ▁meat ▁is ▁slightly ▁fla ky ▁and ▁described ▁as ▁being ▁quite ▁flav or ful , ▁somewhat ▁game y , ▁with ▁distinct ▁yet ▁subt le ▁undert ones ▁recall ing ▁its ▁marine ▁origin . ▁ ▁Like ▁many ▁marine ▁pred ators , ▁pilot ▁wh ales ▁are ▁sus cept ible ▁to ▁ent ang lement ▁and ▁by catch ▁in ▁pel ag ic ▁fish ing ▁g ear , ▁such ▁as ▁g ill ▁n ets , ▁long ▁lines ▁and ▁some ▁tra w l ▁fish eries . ▁Once ▁ent ang led ▁or ▁hook ed , ▁wh ales ▁may ▁drag ▁the ▁g ear ▁behind ▁them ▁for ▁long ▁distances , ▁resulting ▁in ▁fat igue , ▁comprom ised ▁feed ing ▁ability , ▁or ▁injury , ▁often ▁leading ▁to ▁reduced ▁re product ive ▁success ▁and ▁death . ▁Pil ot ▁wh ales ▁are ▁also ▁sus cept ible ▁to ▁vessel ▁strik es , ▁which ▁can ▁be ▁le th al , ▁or ▁lead ▁to ▁injury ▁and ▁behaviour al ▁changes . ▁As ▁top ▁pred ators , ▁pilot ▁wh ales ▁also ▁suffer ▁from ▁the ▁bio acc um ulation ▁of ▁cont amin ants ▁such ▁as ▁heavy ▁met als ▁and ▁organ ich lor ines