A young North Atlantic right whale was found heavily entangled off the coast of North Carolina. The aerial survey team noted she had "several wraps of line around the mouth and tail." By the time they found her, she had floated too far from the shore to go after and there was not enough light left in the day. The biologists at NOAA fisheries categorized her entanglement as a "serious injury," meaning more than likely, she was going to die. North Atlantic right whales can live to be 100 years old, just like humans, but because of people, most only live to see age 45. This whale only got four years. 

Over 85% of North Atlantic right whales have gotten entangled in fishing nets, many dying, leaving only about 336 left on this earth. We all know that these whales, among many others, are constantly getting mistakenly caught in these fishing traps, stiff rope cutting deeply into their flesh and holding them in place. If they don't drown, they'll starve. And then who will look after their calf? However, what we don't know is what to do about it. 

Until now.

The first ropeless fishing gear was invented in 1995 and has only gotten more popular and efficient since then. It works by sending a buoy bundled in a bag with a rope to the seafloor attached to a trap. Remote sensors can then trigger the buoy to float to the surface, bringing the traps with it. The point is that it eliminates vertical lines which cause the entanglement. Several Australian fisherman use it already and can confirm it works and ropeless fishing gear is being tested in Canada and the US West and East coasts.

The solution we've all been looking and waiting for is here right now, and all we have to do is implement it. We need you to sign this petition to to get the government to require trap fisheries to use only ropeless gear by 2026. Entanglement, a beast created by humans, is driving these whales to extinction and ending countless lives, but we have the solution right at our fingertips. All we have to do is grab it. 

Credits for information (and a website to find out more information): Center for Biological Diversity