Three incidents of endangered whales entangled in fishing gear were reported off the U.S. East Coast over a single week in December, with another last month. The entanglements — resulting in two deaths — highlight how human interactions and environmental instability can lead to species decline.
What's happening?
The Associated Press reported three North Atlantic right whales were spotted entangled in fishing gear during routine coastal aerial surveys by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
On Dec. 16, one entangled whale — a juvenile male born in 2021 — was found off the coast of North Carolina with several fishing lines and buoys wrapped around its head and mouth. Less than a week earlier, another aerial survey found two entangled right whales off Nantucket, Massachusetts.
One whale, also a juvenile, had a thick fishing line across its head and back. The second whale, an adult female, had less severe injuries from apparent entanglement. This adult female whale was spotted gear-free Feb. 9.
Fortunately, the Miami Herald reported that all affected whales appeared to have broken free.
Why is it important to understand the recent uptick in entangled whales?
North Atlantic right whales are critically endangered, having been decimated by decades of commercial whaling. In fact, the whales got their name from being the "right" whales to hunt, as they float when killed. NOAA estimates that only 370 North Atlantic right whales remain in the wild. The biggest danger to the endangered species is human interactions, especially ship collisions and entanglement in fishing gear.
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A 2019 study found that 88% of the 70 North Atlantic right whale fatalities between 2003 and 2018 were caused by humans. Of those deaths, 22 whales were killed by entanglement in fishing gear.
An uptick in entanglements may be due to North Atlantic right whales' straying from protected waters because of rising global temperatures. Right whales feed on plankton, and when ocean waters warm, currents change the plankton distribution. Following their prey, right whales have strayed from protected ocean areas, making entanglements more common.
"These whales are not statistics; they are living beings enduring unimaginable suffering caused by human activities," Gib Brogan, campaign director at Oceana, told the AP.
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What's being done to help protect North Atlantic right whales from entanglement?
The future of North Atlantic right whales is especially concerning to conservationists given the species' extremely low population count. The AP reported that activists and environmental groups insist new protections are needed to help boost right whale populations.
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NOAA-authorized teams respond to reports of entangled whales, but that may become more difficult after significant cuts to funding by the Trump administration. Freeing the whales, however, is dangerous work — many have died attempting to rescue entangled whales, and the NOAA team cannot act right away in all cases.
"Entanglement response teams are on alert, although current weather conditions in the area are not safe for mounting an immediate response," NOAA said in a statement about the whale near Nantucket.
Initiatives are underway to transition the fishing industry to ropeless gear or weak-link gear to address entanglement risks. Adjusting fishing locations to avoid migratory routes, implementing stricter fishing gear regulations, and supporting research to understand entanglement risks are all important to help support right whale populations.
Addressing rising global temperatures through pollution-reduction actions also makes steady progress toward restoring ecological balance in our environment.
While you may not be able to untangle a whale from fishing gear, you can make small changes — and advocate for game-changing legislation — that address pollution and planetary warming in your own life. And that can add up to a more stable, safe environment for vulnerable right whales.
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