New technology may help whales survive
Whales have it tough. The population grows slowly, with many species still not recovered from the heavy whaling of the past century. Even now with whaling largely banned around the world, whales still face regular death by boat strikes and entanglements.
Entanglements are one of the most dangerous for Right Whales, with many whales being killed or seriously wounded. The most common way they get entangled is through lobster traps, which have a rope that goes up to a buoy so fishermen can collect them.
Right now the best way to avoid this is to ban fishing where right whales are sighted, and in known breeding areas, but this isn’t always effective. Not only is it hard on fishermen, but Right whales are changing their historical breeding areas due to climate change.
When whales pop up in historically unprotected areas, rules often can’t be changed fast enough to stop them from getting entangled. In order to help protect Right Whales permanently, it’s the fishing that needs to change.
How lobstermen are helping protect right whales
Luckily, some lobstermen are hoping to create a world safe for both them and the whales. Rob Martin is a loberstman that owns a small lobster shop. He is one of the innovators of a lobster line designed to break at the point where whales are most likely to become entangled.
The idea is should a whale hit the line, instead of wrapping the whale up and potentially tying its mouth shut or cutting into its blubber, the rope will simply break way. This means a safer world for whales, even in areas where lobster trapping is permitted.
This new type of technology isn’t permitted in restricted waters, and not enough testing has been done to find out if it works, but only time can fill that void. No one will know if it is safer for whales until a whale actually strikes it and fails to get entangled. Despite this, a rope that will break should a whale hit it is certainly a step in the right direction, and will hopefully work if a whale should strike it.
Another type of technology that may work even better for whales is ropeless technology. Rather than a rope connecting the trap to a buoy, the lobster trap instead stends acoustic signals to the lobsterman’s boat, helping them locate the lobster trap this way.
Ropeless technology is still under testing and needs more work to be an effective solution. Lobstermen may also need additional help getting off the ground.
New technology is out there but may be prohibitively expensive. If whales are to be saved, lobstermen may need financial assistance to get these new traps.
If scientists and lobstermen work together to change the industry, it can be done. Lobstermen don’t want to cause pain and suffering to whales, but they do need to survive. By finding ways that whales and lobstermen can co-exist, the oceans can become a safer and more beneficial place for everyone.