Humpback whales suffer severe welfare harm from entanglement in fishing gear, which is a leading cause of serious injury and death for this recovered species.
Entangled humpback whales experience chronic pain from cutting fishing lines, drag fatigue from dragging gear, and slow starvation if they cannot feed effectively. Entanglement over months causes progressive debilitation. Ropeless fishing gear technology eliminates the entanglement pathway and represents the most effective prevention available.