A number of large cetacean species are seriously injured and killed by entanglement in
fishing gear used in the waters off the eastern United States and Canada. Entanglement
most frequently involves rope or lines wrapped around the head, the flippers, body, in the
mouth, around the tail flukes or any combination of the aforementioned body parts.
Consequences of entanglement are particularly grave for North Atlantic right whales,
which currently number about 300 whales and are declining due, in part, to this
entanglement-related mortality. Right whales are frequently intractable and are very
difficult and potentially unsafe to work with while attempting to disentangle the animal.
Modifications and technological advances are needed to control, restrain and overall
increase the success rate at which right whales are able to be cut free from entangling
gear.
