According to a recently released report, 27 large whales were entangled by United States fishing gear off the coast of Washington, Oregon, California or other countries like Mexico in 2023. Humpback whales continue to be the most common species of whale entangled with 16 separate confirmed entanglements last year. Nine gray whales and two transient killer whales were also confirmed to have been entangled in West Coast fishing gear.
The annual report by the National Marine Fisheries Service represents only a small fraction of whales discovered entangled in the deadly fishing gear, many escape but often die later due to injury or infection and some live and bear the scars of their suffering. Fishing gear entanglement is a global issue, it is the biggest and most serious threat to both small and large cetaceans in our oceans today.
