The Road to Ropeless Gear: A critical long-term solution to right whale recovery.

• Author: Morales, Adilson Gonzalez
• Position: CONSERVATION

HUMANS HAVE LONG POSED A THREAT TO NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALES. But that threat has become more acute as rapidly warming waters have changed where whales can find their primary food sources. Today, right whales forage in places they were not seen 10, 15, or even 20 years ago both farther north and farther south as they pursue their prey. Right whales' risks of harm from humans, especially fishing gear and vessel strikes, have increased as a result.

Fewer than 350 North Atlantic right whales remain on the planet today and that makes an encounter with one a rare experience. Yet, sadly, the entanglement scars that about 85% of these precious creatures carry on their bodies are far from rare.

The species is in crisis earning the status of critically endangered two years ago. As a leader in the fight to save right whales, CLF is using a multipronged approach including the law, policy, and science to force the federal government to respond to the crisis with the urgency it deserves. No one wants to see this species go extinct in their lifetime, and public support for their protection is high.

At the same time, some fishermen fear that the measures taken to protect right whales so far including closing areas to lobstering when whales are present could undermine their businesses.

But a solution is in the works that could allow whales and lobstermen to coexist: ropeless gear.

WHAT IS ROPELESS GEAR?

Currently, the most effective way to reduce the risk of accidental entanglement in gear is to close certain areas to fishing when high numbers of whales are present. But what if fishermen could safely fish, without fixed ropes, in areas where right whales congregate? After all, fewer ropes mean fewer whales of all species getting painfully and often lethally entangled.

That's where ropeless gear comes in. Ropeless systems (also known as pop-up, buoyless, or on-demand systems) allow lobstermen to retrieve traps from the ocean floor without using the traditional, persistent vertical lines that entangle marine wildlife. CLF advocates have been vocal proponents of ropeless fishing systems because they offer a potential long-term solution to the entanglement crisis. But what does it actually mean to go ropeless?

ROPELESS GEAR CREATES A SAFER OCEAN

Ropeless fishing gear has been discussed for decades. But over the last few years, a small group of researchers, engineers, lobstermen, and conservationists including CLF--have come together to help make it a...