Officials share heartbreaking image of endangered whale: 'A slow and painful death'
An upsetting photo circulated by ABC 13 News reveals a North Atlantic right whale entangled in a fishing net off the East Coast, concerning environmentalists as the species nears extinction.
There are fewer than 400 North Atlantic right whales, whose numbers have decreased exponentially due to the fishing industry. Complications include ship collisions and gear entanglements.
The whale was spotted via aerial view entangled in the net and "has not been seen again," according to Melanie White, who is the North Atlantic Right Whale Conservation Project Manager and a research biologist.
This was the third of the endangered whales to be found entangled in fishing gear in the span of one week in December 2024.
According to ABC 13 News, "Right whales' population fell about 25% from 2010 to 2020."
Conservationists have said that the animals need new protections from commercial fishing to help mitigate their population decline. Once numerous off the East Coast, the whales were "devastated during the commercial whaling era" and have been a protected species for decades.
Hundreds of thousands of marine animals are impacted by commercial fishing each year through overfishing or bycatching, which is the indirect fishing of animals usually compounded by commercial fishing waste.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare, a global nonprofit advocating for animal safety in the face of the changing climate, told the harrowing truth about what happens to these whales caught in commercial fishing waste
"For these whales, entanglements typically lead to a slow and painful death caused by either starvation, infected lacerations, increased susceptibility to disease, extreme stress, or drowning," IFAW wrote in a post on the effects of bycatching.
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The whales have been a protected species for decades. They are also protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Nevertheless, they are impacted by the commercial fishing industry, which is notorious for environmental degradation. It causes about 50% to 100% of plastic debris found in some parts of the ocean, according to the Marine Pollution Bulletin.
Accordingly, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has adopted measures to reduce harm to right whales. They include efforts to reduce vessel strikes, reduce entanglements, and address ocean noises.
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