Over the past decade, the government has required lobstermen to make short-term improvements to their gear, such as inserting weak links in their lines or using weaker rope. Ropeless fishing provides a long-term solution. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, North Atlantic right whales are one step away from extinction. Tragically, due to vessel strikes and entanglements, at least 50 animals have died or sustained serious injuries since 2017 in the U.S. Today, fewer than 336 North Atlantic right whales remain on the planet – and fewer than 75 are females likely to give birth.
Ropeless fishing gear can reduce fatal right whale entanglements And, while it’s not ready for prime time today, significant progress toward this transition is being made with fishermen’s help.
Moving to ropeless gear systems (also known as pop-up, buoyless, or on-demand systems) is a significant change in fishing practices. If lobstermen transition to ropeless fishing gear when and where right whales are present, the species has a better chance of recovery. Unfortunately, the ropes (also known as vertical lines) connecting these buoys to traps can create a dense maze that threatens critically endangered North Atlantic right whales as well as other wildlife.Īccidental entanglements in these vertical lines account for more than half of all right whale deaths. More than three million of those traps are spread throughout our regional waters. These buoys mark the location of lobster traps on the seafloor. Image: NOAAĪnyone who has spent time on the ocean in New England has seen the brightly colored buoys bobbing on the surface. Ropeless fishing offers an alternative that could recover right whales and preserve the livelihood of New England’s iconic lobstermen and women.
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