Entanglement in fishing gear is the leading human-caused injury and death for humpback whales globally, with disentanglement teams providing critical welfare intervention.
Entanglement causes severe and prolonged welfare harm to humpback whales. Ropes cutting into skin and blubber cause deep, infected wounds that in some cases penetrate to bone. Restricted movement prevents effective foraging, leading to progressive malnutrition. The chronic pain and restriction of entanglement may last years. Disentanglement is extremely complex and risky — teams work from small boats alongside 40-tonne animals using cutting poles, grappling hooks, and specialized tools. The scale of entanglement mortality and injury is enormous; disentanglement addresses individual cases while systemic fishing gear modification addresses population-level welfare. Ropeless gear represents the most important long-term welfare intervention.