Humpback whale populations have recovered substantially following the moratorium on commercial whaling, but entanglement in fishing gear remains a major welfare and mortality concern.
Whale entanglement causes one of the most prolonged welfare harms in marine mammals - animals can drag heavy fishing gear for weeks or months before dying from exhaustion, infection and starvation. Even successfully disentangled whales may carry injuries that impair feeding and reproduction. The development and adoption of rope-less fishing technology in high-entanglement fisheries represents the most impactful preventive welfare measure.