PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • February 14, 2024
A federal regulatory agency has confirmed that the right whale found dead on Martha’s Vineyard in January had been tangled in Maine lobstering gear. It is the first time Maine gear has been found on the carcass of a North Atlantic right whale, an endangered species. The discovery has reignited the contentious debate about the lobster fishery’s impact on the endangered North Atlantic right whale, and whether stricter regulations are warranted. And lobstermen, who say such regulations could wipe out the industry.