MAINE COALITION FOR NORTH ATLANTIC RIGHT WHALES –
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 20, 2022
CLAIM THAT ‘NO RIGHT WHALE HAS BEEN ENTANGLED IN MAINE FISHING GEAR IN 18 YEARS’ IS INACCURATE
MAINE — Recent reports have covered the lobster fishery and the impact of regulations to protect North Atlantic right whales from fishing gear entanglements that are threatening the critically endangered species. But, 98 percent of the more than 1,700 documented right whale fishing gear entanglements lack conclusive data about where the entanglement occurred.
Maine lobster fishery leadership and politicians are using this data gap to make the claim that the fishery has not caused any right whale entanglements in 18 years. That claim is not supported by the evidence available.
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