At the end of January, a humpback whale was found on the central coast wrapped in numerous sets of commercial crabbing gear. Sadly, this was a fatal event but it prompted action from the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW). ODFW issued an advisory calling on Oregon fisheries to exercise extreme caution, remove slack from fishing lines, service and remove all derelict gear and more.
This entanglement comes after a record breaking year of such events in Oregon. 2024 saw four whales entangled in gear attributed to Oregon fisheries. Whales of all kinds from around the globe face the constant threat of being entangled in fishing gear or marine debris, being struck by a boat and daily disturbances from vessel noise, which in some cases hinders their ability to communicate or track prey. Fortunately, there are ways to minimize risk from these threats.
In high traffic areas for whales, vessels should reduce their speeds, which would reduce the risk of deadly strikes and lessen the noise coming from them. When fishing, some fishermen such as crabbers should use more ropeless gear, which drastically reduces the risk this industry poses for whales.
Although sad, this unfortunate occurrence off the Oregon coast is an important reminder that whales are out there, all the time, and there’s more we can do to protect them. You can read more about it here.
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