Seafood sourced using ropeless fishing systems can end deadly whale entanglements

and help support a vibrant fishing industry.

Image (above): Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, taken under NOAA research permit #15488

The problem

Each year, more than 650,000 marine mammals are unintentionally killed or seriously injured by fishing gear. Of these, more than 300,000 are whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Accidental entanglement in fishing ropes and buoy lines is a leading cause of death and injury of many large whale species in the United States and internationally. In some populations, almost every whale has been entangled at least once. Entanglement is an urgent conservation and animal welfare issue that must be addressed.

An entangled humpback whale slapping its tail minutes before finally freeing itself from fishing gear.
An entangled humpback whale slapping its tail minutes before finally freeing itself from fishing gear. Credit: NOAA MMHSRP Permit #24359.

What happens when a whale is entangled?

  • Whales may drown within minutes or die after experiencing prolonged, traumatic suffering over months or even years.
  • Ropes and lines may cut into muscle and bone, resulting in agonizing injuries and infections.
  • Entanglements around the blow hole can restrict the airway, making it difficult to breathe.
  • Baleen may be damaged, preventing the whale from feeding effectively and contributing to malnutrition or prolonged starvation.
  • Increased energy expenditure and chronic stress can lead to long-term health effects and reduce the ability of females to successfully calve.

The critically endangered North Atlantic right whale is being driven to extinction because of accidental entanglement in fishing gear, as well as vessel strikes. Only about 370 right whales now remain, including fewer than 70 reproductive females. If the species is to survive, we cannot lose a single right whale per year from any human cause. Yet, more than 150 whales have been documented as killed, injured, or in poor health since 2017. More than 86% of surviving North Atlantic right whales bear entanglement scars, with females being particularly vulnerable. Females who break free from entanglements are less likely to have calves for several years afterwards, creating a further barrier to the species’ recovery.

Whales are also at risk of entanglement in fishing gear off the west coast of the United States. An endangered population of humpback whales is experiencing an unsustainable number of entanglements as the animals migrate and feed along this coastline. Gray whales, as well as other whale species, and Pacific leatherback sea turtles are also at risk of entanglement in this region.

Fishing gear used to catch lobster, crab, and other bottom-dwelling species is the main cause of many accidental whale entanglements. Lobster and crab are mostly caught with pots and traps on the seafloor that are attached via long vertical lines to marker buoys at the surface. The surface buoys help fishers locate their pots or traps and signal to others where they are fishing. The buoys also aid necessary fishery management and enforcement activity.

Starboard, a female right Whale entangled in fishing gear
Starboard, a female right whale, died off Canada's Atlantic coast after dragging snow crab traps for days. Credit: NOAA/NEFSC/Peter Duley.

It is estimated that these fisheries use more than a million vertical buoy lines in areas important to feeding and migrating whales. Climate change has caused North Atlantic right whales and west coast humpback whales to shift their distribution as they track prey into cooler waters. These shifts have increased the number and severity of interactions between whales and vertical line gear in the Atlantic from southern New England to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and in the Pacific from California to Washington.

Interactions between fishing gear and whales also negatively affect fishing communities and the broader industry—resulting in loss of gear, delays in seasonal openings, closures to reduce conflict with whales, and other impediments.

A solution that puts an end to entanglements of whales and helps the species coexist with economically important fisheries is urgently needed.

The solution

Ropeless fishing systems, also known as pop-up or on-demand fishing gear, are working around the world and are a viable solution for whale-safe fishing. These systems remove the vertical line in the water column, virtually eliminating the risk of large whale entanglement while the fishery continues to operate.

Ropeless fishing systems replace vertical buoy lines with a remote-controlled cage, inflatable lift bag, or spool of rope stowed on the seafloor. GPS or acoustic marking systems can be used to identify the gear’s location. When gear owners want to retrieve a trap, they send an acoustic signal to the unit—like remotely opening a garage door—and the rope releases or the lift bag inflates to bring the trap to the surface. Rope is only present in the water column for a few minutes during gear retrieval, if at all.

Edge Tech ropeless fishing system Desert Star ropeless fishing system Ropeless fishing system example 3 Ropeless Riser fishing system
Four examples of ropeless fishing systems that are now available to be tested and used by the fishing community.
Photos courtesy of: EdgeTech, Desert Star, Sub Sea Sonics, and Ropeless Systems, Inc.

With ropeless systems, fishing can still occur in areas that otherwise would be closed to protect whales from potential entanglement. Additionally, by stowing the buoy and line at depth, and marking gear electronically, less gear may be lost to bad weather, boat propellers, or poaching. All these factors help reduce economic losses experienced by the fishery and help keep the ocean clean of marine debris.

While much progress has been made to advance ropeless fishing in the United States and Canada, more needs to be done. Fishers need more opportunities to gain hands-on experience with ropeless systems and tailor them to their unique needs. Far greater economic support is needed for testing and transitioning to ropeless fishing systems so the economic burden of the transition does not fall on the fishing industry. Further development of management and enforcement tools is also needed. Increasing the availability of ropeless fishing systems will also help bring manufacturing costs of the technology down.

How you can help

Consumers:

Consumers have a key role to play by demanding whale-safe seafood obtained with ropeless gear and asking commercial seafood buyers and retailers to financially support their suppliers’ efforts to test and transition to ropeless fishing systems within a reasonable but expedited timeframe.

While ropeless fishing isn’t yet commercially widespread, you can play an important role in facilitating its adoption by taking the following actions:

  • Tell your seafood retailer that you would like their suppliers to transition to ropeless-caught seafood in the near future and, if relevant, that you would be willing to pay more for seafood caught using ropeless fishing systems that help protect whales.
  • Reach out to your social networks to educate family and friends about the need for ropeless fishing systems.

Seafood retailers and buyers:

As a key member of the supply chain, seafood retailers and buyers can have a strong influence on the transition to ropeless gear. If you are a retailer or buyer, you can help by doing the following:

  • Publicly commit to purchase seafood sourced from whale-safe ropeless fishing systems within a clearly defined timeframe, and then financially support your suppliers’ efforts to test and transition to ropeless fishing systems.
  • Fund gear innovation projects undertaken in collaboration with partners in the fishing industry, which will result in easier-to-use, compatible, and more affordable ropeless fishing systems. These projects (such as this one led by Publix) are invaluable in making ropeless fishing systems commercially viable and available as soon as possible.
  • Purchase ropeless fishing systems to donate to one of several gear libraries, such as the NOAA Gear Library, the CanFISH Gear Lending Program, and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Innovative Gear Library (which lend ropeless fishing systems to fishers for free in exchange for data collection on their use) or to the gear cache managed by Sustainable Seas Technology, a nonprofit organization that works closely with fishing community members on training and technology testing.