Whale Entanglements Rise; NGOs Urge Crabbers to Act
SEAFOOD.COM NEWS - by Susan Chambers - June 10, 2016
Nearly 40 reports of whales entangled in fishing gear have been recorded off the West Coast in 2016 — including at least 20 whales that are estimated to still be entangled — putting this year on pace to break the record for the third straight year, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. Although some whales are able to escape from fishing gear, often with the help of California Whale Rescue teams, those that continue to drag fishing gear can die slow, painful deaths.
In response to the latest figures, the Center for Biological Diversity today called on Dungeness crab fishermen to heed last month’s voluntary advisory and remove more fishing lines from Monterey Bay and other entanglement hot spots where whales, including endangered humpback and blue whales, are now feeding – despite a united effort by the California crab fleet to remove much of their gear already. The Center also urged regulators to take swift action to address the problem. In addition to whales, one critically endangered leatherback sea turtle was reported entangled, and ultimately disentangled, in the Monterey area in April.
“This has become a crisis. We recognize that crabbers don’t want to harm whales ...
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