The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced this week that two North Atlantic right whales were seen entangled in fishing gear 50 miles southeast off Nantucket, Massachusetts.
North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered, with only around 370 whales remaining. Fishing gear entanglements and boat strikes are top threats to this species.
The first entangled whale has been identified as #5110, a juvenile male most recently seen gear-free in April of this year. He is currently entangled by a thick line that crosses over his head and around his back, and NOAA has determined that this whale is “likely to die from this injury.”
The second entangled right whale is known as #4120, a 13-year-old female. She was spotted with two lines coming out of her mouth and extending down her body.
NOAA will continue to monitor the situation to determine response options and, if weather and sea conditions allow, efforts will be made to attempt disentanglement, according to the announcement.
Gib Brogan, campaign director at Oceana in the United States, said:
“Fishing rope doesn’t belong around a whale — yet two whales are suffering today from human cause. While we remain hopeful for a positive outcome for these two North Atlantic right whales, entanglement means thick ropes, tied so tightly around the body, that the rope cuts into flesh and bone. Fishing gear entanglements are gruesome — they can make it harder for whales to eat, swim, and breed. Ropes cause deep wounds that can cut off fins and tails, or lead to infections so severe that the whale dies. These whales are not statistics, they are living beings enduring unimaginable suffering caused by human activities. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is long overdue for establishing effective safeguards for North Atlantic right whales that prevent entanglements and simultaneously allow fisheries to operate in a truly sustainable way. NOAA’s 2029 plans for new protections from entanglements should include robust alternatives to remove vertical rope from the water in times and places whales are expected and detected, and allow the use of ropeless gear in areas closed to traditional gear, so that both whales and fishers can thrive. The real question is: will new protections be implemented before it’s too late?”
While Kim Elmslie, campaign director at Oceana in Canada, added:
“We recently celebrated the birth of three calves, yet now face the devastating news of two entangled right whales: a juvenile male and an adult female. Both were seen gear free earlier this year, making their entanglement even more alarming. Since 1980, over 1,617 entanglements have been documented based on scarring or attached gear, a direct result of weak regulations that fail to protect whales from fishing gear. Today, 86% of right whales bear scars from entanglements, and even minor incidents can cause life-threatening injuries and compromise their ability to reproduce.
“We are calling on Fisheries and Oceans Canada to urgently accelerate the transition to ropeless fishing gear in the areas that pose the greatest threat of entanglement. This effort will protect an iconic and critically endangered species and safeguard access to U.S. markets for Canadian seafood products. Without meaningful protection, more right whales will be entangled, accelerating their path towards extinction.”
