2009-01-19

Right Whale Entangled In Fishing Gear

Rescuers are attempting to free a North Atlantic right whale entangled in fishing gear off the coast of Florida.

The whale, which was first spotted on Wednesday, has fishing line trapped in its mouth, and is trailing three fishing lines up to 80 feet in length, which are reported to be cutting in to the whale’s head and tail. Several fishing lines have already been successfully removed from the animal.

With less than 400 North Atlantic right whales in existence, the species is critically endangered, with entanglement and ship strikes threatening the future of these animals.

A spokesperson for WDCS said: “It is estimated that more than 300,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises die every year as a result of getting caught accidentally in fishing gear. For species such as the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, losing an animal in this way could be a disaster for the future of the species.”

The recent report on fisheried bycatch, produced by WDCS can be found by clicking here.