With barely more than 400 right whales remaining on the planet, it’s simply irresponsible to block efforts to protect this critically endangered species. Regulators, scientists, and even fishermen recognize that ship strikes and entanglements in fishing gear are responsible for the vast majority of deaths in recent years. The “wait and see” approach suggested in the June 12 editorial (“Our View: Lobster gear changes not yet warranted”) is misguided and it’s risky.
We agree that it would be extraordinarily helpful to know exactly which gear is responsible for right whale deaths. However, Maine’s lobster industry has blocked efforts to report where they fish and mark their fishing gear for decades. If the industry is actually serious about preventing right whale deaths, the easiest thing for them to do would be to mark their gear everywhere they fish and do so more frequently (every 40 feet) before it goes into the water. Then we’d know exactly which lines are responsible for right whale deaths. However, Maine’s lobstermen have fought tooth and nail against this, which the editorial fails to mention.
There are ways to reduce the number of dangerous lines in the water by taking advantage of innovative technologies used in other fisheries and currently being tested by Canadian fishers facing closures. These solutions should be perfected and put on the water as soon as possible in the U.S. Right whales don’t have time for us to wait and see, as this majestic species could be extinct within our lifetimes.
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