Struggle Against Their Efforts
The fishermen had to do a lot of heaving and pulling before they were finally able to get a hold of the cub and bring it on board. However, this was not simply a matter of using brute force; throughout the operation, they had to make sure that the cub did not become entangled in the net or sustain any other kind of injury.
At one point in time, it seemed as though the cub was experiencing some kind of anxiety attack. It started to fight against their efforts with what little strength it still had, which was a dangerous situation not only for the animal, but also for the fishermen who were trying to catch it. The animal was in danger, but so were the fishermen.