Humpback whales have recovered significantly from commercial whaling, but entanglement in fishing gear, vessel strikes, and acoustic disturbance continue to impose welfare costs on individuals.
Humpback whale welfare success stories — population recovery from whaling — are overshadowed by ongoing individual welfare harms from human activities. Entangled whales experience prolonged suffering: the drag of fishing gear causes exhaustion, deep laceration wounds, and sometimes drowning or starvation when gear prevents feeding. Vessel strike injuries cause traumatic injuries that may not be immediately fatal but result in prolonged suffering. Acoustic disturbance affects communication, feeding, and social behavior in ways that are welfare-negative even when not lethal. Whale entanglement response teams provide direct welfare relief but require broad fishing gear reform to address root causes.