With only around 400 North Atlantic right whales left on Earth, every death is a blow to the endangered species. Now the third death this year has been confirmed. Spotted October 14 off the coast of Massachusetts, the 35-foot male was thought to have died from entanglement in fishing gear.
Although the carcass was decomposing and it was difficult to conclusively state the cause of death, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said, “The carcass is severely decomposed, but photographs show multiple wounds indicative of human interaction. The initial examination revealed marks consistent with entanglement.”
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Entanglement occurs when fishing gear like gill nets and thick line running between crab and lobster pots come into contact with sea animals. Whales will inadvertently swim into these lines, becoming entangled by the flippers, tail, and even mouth. The whales cannot break free of the strong line and may be entangled for years. Some drown. Some starve. Adding insult to (literal) injury, the worst part about the right whales’ plight is that the lines that cause deadly entanglement aren’t even the only option for fishermen. Lines that are heavy and lie on the bottom of the ocean floor are one option. Colorful vertical lines may be easier for the whales to see and avoid.
In April researchers went on a mission to save an entangled whale named Kleenex. She had become entangled with a thick fishing line around her jaw and was losing weight. Unfortunately, the team was unable to completely sever the line, though they did damage it somewhat. Kleenex was one of the most successful right whale mothers, having birthed at least eight calves.
A worrying fact came to light earlier this year: no right whale calves have been spotted in an annual count. This indicates that more than entanglement is taking its toll on the species. Climate change, noise pollution from ships and boats, and ship strikes are also all dangers to the whales.
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Save these whales from the nets
Humans – 1
Wildlife – 0
And the list goes on and on.
Will it ever end?
Very sad.
Ban all lines and trawler nets! Ships should KNOW migration patterns and STEER CLEAR! THIS CANNOT CONTINUE!!!
sad sad sad…crying.
AGAIN!!!!! These were to be outlawed after killing already depleted whales, fish and dolphins.
Ban them from fishing after a $100,000 fine and imprisonment!!
Slowly but surely man is destroying this planet.
More surely rather than slowly. The word “mankind” just doesn’t seem appropriate anymore.
Killing of whales MUST stop!!
I can’t understand why those that fish commercially or for enjoyment why not take the time to cleanup and keep the big fish safe.
This is tragic. Steps need to be taken to stop these greedy fishermen from killing our sea animals. Gill nets should be outlawed. Plus fishermen should not leave their trashed fishing equipment behind.
This has been happening too long and too much.
No fisherman wants a whale to get tangled in his gear. The fisherman can do nothing with the whale, and they get their nets destroyed.
They should do a simple thing like put a camera on their net and then have plenty of time to save the innocent whale before he agonizingly drowns.