Third endangered whale spotted entangled in fishing gear in US this month

A third endangered North Atlantic right whale has been found tangled in fishing gear along the East Coast of the United States.

The latest discovery was made on December 16. An aerial survey team spotted a juvenile male whale about 60 miles (96 kilometers) east of North Carolina’s Outer Banks.

The whale, born in 2021, has fishing lines wrapped around its head and mouth. Officials fear the animal won’t survive.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported that two other North Atlantic right whales were spotted entangled in gear near Nantucket, Massachusetts, earlier in December. NOAA did not expect those whales to survive.

Because of weather conditions, NOAA explained that is was not immediately possible to send a team to help the whale.

A species in decline

Fewer than 400 of these whales remain, making each entanglement a serious blow to their survival. The North Atlantic right whale population declined by 25% from 2010 to 2020.

The species remains critically endangered and requires stronger protections to avoid extinction.

Right whales are vulnerable to entanglement and ship strikes, two leading causes of death for the species. Conservationists warn that without immediate action, the right whale’s future is uncertain.

Historical context

Once abundant along the East Coast of the United States, North Atlantic right whales were hunted to near extinction during the commercial whaling era.

The commercial whaling era was a period spanning several centuries, during which whales were hunted extensively for their blubber, oil, baleen, and other resources. It profoundly impacted global whale populations, driving North Atlantic right whales and many other whales to the brink of extinction.

Despite decades of federal protection, the whale population has struggled to recover due to ongoing human-related threats.