Federal Funding Aims to Protect North Atlantic Right Whales Through Ropeless Fishing Gear

PORTLAND, Maine — In a significant move to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale, federal authorities have announced nearly $10 million in funding to promote the use of ropeless fishing gear in the lobster and crab industries. With fewer than 360 right whales remaining, the species faces critical threats from entanglement in fishing gear and ship collisions. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) revealed that approximately $7 million of the funding will be allocated to developing ropeless gear, allowing fishermen to provide feedback on the technology. Ropeless fishing methods, which utilize systems like inflatable lift bags to bring traps to the surface, aim to reduce the risk of entanglement for these rare whales. Janet Coit, NOAA Fisheries' assistant administrator, emphasized the urgency of collaborative efforts to aid in the recovery of the species, which is described as "approaching extinction." Currently, there are fewer than 70 reproductively active females, highlighting the precarious state of the population. In addition to the funding for ropeless gear, nearly $3 million will be directed towards enhancing modeling and monitoring efforts for right whales. Duke University’s Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab is set to receive over $1.3 million to develop a near real-time modeling system to predict the distribution of right whales along the East Coast. This initiative comes in response to several right whale deaths this year, with some showing signs of entanglement. As the whales migrate annually from calving grounds in Florida and Georgia to feeding areas in New England and Canada, scientists warn that warming ocean waters are pushing them away from protected habitats in search of food, further endangering their survival.