Entanglement in fishing gear causes enormous suffering and death in whales, dolphins, porpoises, and seals — solutions exist but adoption requires policy pressure.
Marine mammal bycatch represents one of the most severe and widespread welfare problems in commercial fisheries. Entanglement in gill nets, longlines, and pot fishing ropes causes drowning in small cetaceans and prolonged suffering in larger whales that may survive entanglement for days to weeks. The welfare cost of drowning — from the moment of entrapment through the progressive exhaustion that prevents surfacing — is substantial. Large whale entanglement causes even longer-duration suffering through progressive debilitation from restricted feeding, propulsion impairment, and rope-induced injury. Effective solutions exist: pingers, alternative gear types, and on-demand ropeless fishing gear have all demonstrated bycatch reduction potential. The barrier is economic incentive and regulatory mandate.