Aquarium responds to entanglement of two North Atlantic right whales sighted off Massachusetts

BOSTON, MASS. (December 2024) – In response to news of two North Atlantic right whales sighted entangled in fishing gear southeast of Nantucket, MA, the New England Aquarium is releasing the below information.

STATEMENT

“North Atlantic right whales continue to be entangled at levels that could push this critically endangered species to extinction. It is distressing that multiple generations of right whales have been affected by the devastating harm of entanglements, which is resulting in deaths, health declines, and slower reproductive rates. Serious injuries and deaths of right whales are preventable and highlight the importance of implementing effective changes to reduce ongoing threats from fishing gear, including broader adoption of ropeless or ‘on demand’ gear and weaker ropes. The New England Aquarium continues to urge and actively participate in advancing a collective shift in industry practices with support from the research community, engineers, and society in both the U.S. and Canada to save this species.” — Amy Knowlton, Senior Scientist, Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium

WHALE ENTANGLEMENT HISTORIES

Right whales Catalog #4120, a 13-year-old female, and Catalog #5110, a 3-year-old male, were seen entangled on December 9 about 60 nm offshore. This is #4120’s third documented entanglement, which may impact her ability to reproduce. It is #5110’s first entanglement, and because of the configuration of the entangling gear, NOAA Fisheries biologists have determined he is likely to die from this serious injury.

Catalog #5110’s family has a long and sad history of entanglement. He was born in 2021 to female “Binary” (Catalog #3010) and is the third of her three calves. Binary has suffered three entanglements, including a case where she got entangled in gillnet gear while her 2011 calf was at her side. Fortunately, she was able to shed the entangling gear.

BACKGROUND

Scientists at the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life curate the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog, an identification database, on behalf of the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium with support from NOAA Fisheries and others. As part of this work, the Aquarium assesses all photographed sightings to identify the individual and determine if the whale has any external evidence of human impacts, including entanglement. This evidence includes scars caused by a previous entanglement in fishing gear. In some cases, the whale may still have the entangling gear attached. From 1980 to the present, scientists have documented over 1,800 entanglement events involving over 85 percent of the right whale population. Of concern is the increasing frequency of moderate and severe injuries from entanglements, which have negative effects on reproduction and survival.

MEDIA CONTACT: Pam Bechtold Snyder—617-686-5068; psnyder@neaq.org