95 Large Whales Reported Entangled in 2024
By Mark J. Palmer
The US National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS, also known as NOAA Fisheries) issued a report on large whale entanglements in fishing gear off the US coasts in 2024.
A total of 95 entanglements were recorded off our coasts, with 87 cases involving live whales (although 3 of those whales later died), and 8 whales entangled and found dead.
The average number of large whales entangled each year (from 2007 to 2023) is 71.4 animals, so the 2024 entanglements were higher than normal.
NMFS breaks down the types of whales, with 77 humpback whales entangled. Humpback whales are increasing in numbers, recovering from historic whaling that brought the species close to extinction. They also feed in areas where they are likely to encounter fishing gear in the water.
Tragically, four of the whales were the critically endangered North Atlantic right whales. This species is so endangered that experts believe the population can only lose one whale per year if it is to survive.
Another five gray whales were also entangled in 2024. IMMP is supporting the relisting of the gray whale on the US Endangered Species List.
The entanglements were concentrated in several specific areas. 25 percent of the entanglements occurred off the state of California, especially Central and Southern California. 18% occurred off the coast of Massachusetts, and 16% off Alaska. Another 12% occurred in Hawai’i.
These states have extensive commercial fishing operations that use different kinds of fishing gear that can entangle whales. Concentrations of whales occur off these coasts. It may also be that these particular states have active ocean conservation programs and nonprofit organizations that are identifying and helping entangled wildlife.
Most experts believe that for every entangled whale that is found, as many as ten or twenty more are entangled, die, and sink out of sight. Those whales are, obviously, not counted.
Of the 95 entanglements in 2024, 25 occurred with lines and buoys; 24 were just heavy fishing lines; 19 involved traps like crab or lobster traps; 14 were caused by monofilament lines; 6 incidents involved nets.
NMFS and many nonprofit organizations cooperate in attempts to disentangle whales caught up in fishing gear. This is not an easy process – the whales are swimming and moving about, and can inadvertently endanger the rescuers. Often a whale is reported entangled, but rescue crews can’t find them or cannot keep pace with them due to weather conditions or darkness. Of 87 whales reported entangled and still alive, teams were able to respond to 37. Of those 37, 11 were fully or partially released from the entanglement. Four whales were identified who were able to shake off their entangling ropes themselves.
What You Can Do:
Support efforts to fund NMFS and nonprofit organizations that conduct disentanglement of whales.
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The International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute is working to end the use of plastic, entangling fishing gear that threatens whales, dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, and other marine life. We succeeded in ending the last drift net fishery off the coast of California, and we’ve curtailed the losses of dolphins in the tuna fishery, saving the lives of 90,000 dolphins annually. Your donations are critical to saving the lives of dolphins and whales. We should not be killing these magnificent animals to catch fish. Won’t you help? Thank you!
