Marine Mammal Entanglement in Fishing Gear

Entanglement in fishing gear is a leading cause of injury and death for marine mammals worldwide. Whales, dolphins, seals, and sea lions all face significant bycatch mortality.

Key Facts

An estimated 300,000 cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) die annually from entanglement.
Gillnets are responsible for the majority of small cetacean bycatch globally.
Entangled animals may drown, suffer rope cuts, starvation, or chronic infection from embedded gear.
The vaquita porpoise is critically endangered with fewer than 20 individuals, largely due to gillnet entanglement.
Rope-free fishing technologies (ropeless gear, acoustic pingers) can significantly reduce entanglement.
Whale entanglement response teams exist in many countries to disentangle live animals in distress.

Welfare Considerations

Marine mammal entanglement causes profound and prolonged suffering. Whales wrapped in rope fight for hours or days before succumbing to exhaustion, drowning, or infected wounds from cutting lines. Even animals successfully disentangled may die from physiological stress or embedded gear not removed. This welfare crisis also drives some species toward extinction. Solutions exist — acoustic deterrents, ropeless gear, area closures — but require political will, industry investment, and consumer pressure to implement at scale. Every marine mammal entanglement represents preventable suffering.

What You Can Do

Choose seafood certified by schemes that require entanglement mitigation measures.
Support organizations like the Center for Coastal Studies that fund disentanglement response.
Advocate for mandatory adoption of ropeless fishing gear in high-entanglement risk areas.
Report entangled marine mammals to coast guard or wildlife authorities immediately.
Contact your representatives about strengthening bycatch regulations for marine mammals.