Wild Animal Welfare

Wild Humpback Whale Entanglement Response

Humpback whale entanglement in fishing gear causes severe welfare harm - trained disentanglement teams provide direct individual welfare intervention.

Key Facts

Over 300,000 cetaceans die from entanglement in fishing gear annually
Entanglement causes drowning, starvation, infection, and severe physical injury
Trained disentanglement teams can safely remove gear from large whales at sea
Whale Safe certification for US salmon and groundfish fisheries marks lower entanglement risk
Ropeless fishing technology eliminates vertical lines that cause most whale entanglements

Welfare Considerations

Entangled humpback whales experience prolonged suffering - sometimes for months before death or rescue. Disentanglement response provides direct individual welfare relief, while gear modification prevents future entanglement at the fishery level.

What You Can Do

Support NOAA, the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, and similar disentanglement response organisations
Choose seafood from fisheries certified as low entanglement risk
Advocate for ropeless fishing gear adoption in whale entanglement hotspots