NOAA investigators have for the first time confirmed a link between the death of a critically endangered North Atlantic right whale and the Maine lobster industry.
The whale, right whale #5120, was found dead off the coast of Massachusetts in January 2024, and a necropsy in February found it was entangled in gear with markings that NOAA said were consistent with rope used in Maine state water trap/pot buoy lines used for lobster fishing.
“The necropsy, histopathologic (examination of tissues using a microscope), and diagnostic testing for North Atlantic right whale #5120 have been completed,” NOAA said. “The cause of death was determined to be due to the chronic entanglement. The NOAA Office of Law Enforcement investigation is still open.”
The result marks the first time that a direct, scientific link has been made between lobster fishing and the death of a North Atlantic right whale.
Right whale entanglement became a hot-button issue for the Maine lobster industry when NOAA announced a new set of regulations intended to protect the few hundred whales left. The regulations ignited a firestorm of criticism from lobstermen and Maine public officials, who claimed vociferously that Maine lobster gear had never been linked to the death of a right whale.
Lobstermen ultimately got a six-year reprieve on new rules thanks to a last-minute addition to the U.S. Senate’s omnibus funding budget in 2022, which delayed the rules and added funding for more research on right whales.
The necropsy results also arrived weeks after another right whale was discovered entangled in Canada, which prompted more calls from environmental groups for a push toward ropeless, or on-demand, gear.
“Entanglement in fishing gear remains a top threat to North Atlantic right whales and [the dead whale] could be swimming free today if proper protections were in place," Oceana Campaign Director Gib Brogan said.
The Maine Lobstermen’s Association issued a statement stating the link between Maine lobster fishing and the death of a right whale is the first known instance of its kind in decades of fishing.
“The fact is we know that entanglement in Maine gear is extremely rare. This is the first reported entanglement of a right whale in Maine lobster gear in 20 years and the first death attributed to the fishery," MLA said. “Maine lobstermen have made significant changes to how they fish over the last 25 years to avoid entanglement. MLA remains committed to working with the federal government as it develops solutions based on accurate data that address all threats to the endangered whales, including ship strikes, to ensure a future for right whales and Maine’s lobster fishery.”
Maine Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher said the release of NOAA’s findings might impact future regulation of the state's fisheries.
"It’s important to emphasize that it was first known right whale mortality with Maine gear,” he said. “It is premature at this point to speculate on the impact of this incident on future rulemaking, however Maine is committed to ensuring that future regulations are based on robust data including improved information on right whale presence that DMR is developing and the enhanced information on the location of fishing activity from recently enacted requirements for state and federal lobster harvesters.”
