by Campaign director Gib Brogan, from the Oceana conservation group, has stressed the urgent need for action to prevent whale entanglements off the coast of Maine. Brogan called on the state to take responsibility and implement measures to address the issue. The young whale, known as #5120, suffered for over half of its short life from a rope that became embedded in its tail, leading to a slow and unnecessary death. Brogan pointed out that the government’s failure to enact sufficient protection measures is to blame for these entanglements.
Dr. Francine Kershaw, a member of the National Resources Defense Council, highlighted that around 400,000 vertical buoy lines are used for lobster and crab traps in Maine waters. Despite this, the Maine lobster industry refuses to acknowledge its role in whale entanglements. The lack of gear-marking requirements in 70% of Maine’s waters has been identified as a contributing factor to these incidents.
Dr. Kershaw also suggested that ropeless fishing systems could help eliminate entanglements. Additionally, she expressed hope that the Maine lobster fishery would start actively participating in efforts to advance the commercial use of ropeless fishing gears.
A thorough investigation conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries confirmed the recovery of a rope from the deceased female North Atlantic right whale. The rope was consistent with the gear used in Maine’s trap or pot buoy lines. This particular whale, #5120, was found off Martha’s Vineyard in late January 2024. It was born in 2021 and was the only known calf of Squilla, a right whale known as #3720. Squilla was the first entangled whale found off New Brunswick in August 2022, and despite attempts to free her, her condition worsened until she was last seen in June 2023.
The results of a necropsy on #5120 are still pending, and the NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement is conducting an investigation into the incident. This latest death marks the 37th in the ongoing Unusual Mortality Event declared for North Atlantic right whales in 2017. The deaths have raised concerns about the species’ proximity to extinction, with less than 360 individuals remaining, and only around 70 reproductively active females.
It is crucial that immediate action is taken to protect these endangered whales and prevent further entanglements. The Maine lobster industry must acknowledge its responsibility and work towards implementing solutions, such as ropeless fishing systems, to ensure the survival of the North Atlantic right whale population.
