IFAW and lobstermen team up to protect North Atlantic right
whales by replacing 3,250 miles of dangerous lobster gear
Yarmouth Port, MA, 20 September 2004 IFAW (the International
Fund for Animal Welfare) today kicked off a project to make
Massachusetts coastal waters some of the most whale-safe in
North America. The North Atlantic right whale is one of the most
endangered animals in the world only about 300 remain and one of
the biggest threats to its survival is the accidental
entanglement in fishing gear. Traditional rope that connects
lobster traps floats upward like the humps on a camel, creating
a dangerous tangle under the water for whales to swim through.
Right whales get entangled in the rope when they are diving and
feeding, jeopardizing their ability to breathe, eat, swim and
mate. Nearly three quarters of the North Atlantic right whale
population shows scarring or other signs of injury from fishing
gear and nearly one dozen North Atlantic right whales have been
entangled over the past two years. "M