Canadian fishing gear linked to 4 of 5 documented right whale entanglements this year

MAINE PUBLIC • July 26, 2023

Scientists spotted a North Atlantic right whale entangled in fishing gear in the Gulf of St. Lawrence earlier this month. It is the fifth right whale with attached fishing gear observed so far this year. The New England Aquarium said in four of those cases, the gear belonged to a Canadian fishery. Scientists are calling on both Canadian and U.S. fisheries to do more to modify their gear and implement "ropeless" or "on demand" options. NOAA has counted 115 dead, seriously injured or ill right whales since 2017 as part of an ongoing investigation into an elevated number of mortalities. About two-thirds of those cases involved entanglements with fishing gear. There are fewer than 340 right whales remaining.