Entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes are leading causes of serious injury and slow death in wild marine mammals, representing significant welfare harms.
Marine mammal suffering from entanglement and vessel strike is among the most severe and prolonged in the wild animal welfare space. An entangled right whale may carry ropes cutting into its flesh for months, gradually losing condition, developing infections, and finally dying from starvation or infection — all while being observed by researchers who can do little to help. The scale of the problem and the individual suffering involved makes this a major wildlife welfare issue that deserves much greater attention. Systemic solutions — ropeless fishing gear, vessel speed restrictions, gear modification requirements — are available and increasingly implemented where political will and regulatory authority exist.