Humpback whales are increasingly entangled in fishing gear, with dedicated disentanglement teams saving individual animals while advocacy targets systemic reduction of the problem.
Entangled humpback whales endure prolonged suffering - ropes cut into their flesh as they struggle, causing deep wounds that become infected. Animals dragging heavy crab pots may be unable to dive properly for months, affecting their ability to feed. The exhaustion of constant fighting against entanglement causes progressive physical deterioration. Disentanglement operations, while dangerous for the human teams, represent direct welfare interventions that have saved individual animals from weeks of further suffering.