According to NOAA, more than 85 percent of all North Atlantic right whales have been entangled in fishing lines at least once. And getting entangled in heavy gear can stress and injure the animals, making it difficult for them to swim, feed and breathe, the agency said.
A study of more than 40 years of data published in March in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B painted an even more grim picture, noting that entanglement has become so pervasive that it is now difficult to find any females that have never been affected.
“The biggest takeaway from this research is that there is no such thing as a ‘minor’ entanglement — any entanglement adversely affects the female’s ability to reproduce,” said Kyla Bennett, science policy director with the advocacy group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.