CONSERVATION LAW FOUNDATION –
With fewer than 350 North Atlantic right whales left on the planet, the species is one step away from extinction. Humans pose the biggest threat to their survival due to entanglements with fishing gear and collisions with ships and boats. Ropeless fishing gear (also called “on-demand,” “pop-up,” and “buoyless” systems) offers a promising solution to entanglements by eliminating the deadly maze of vertical lines that connect buoys on the surface with traps on the seafloor.
The idea of fishing without vertical lines has been around for a while. The reality requires investments in new equipment and an adjustment in longstanding, cultural fishing practices – which can be a tough sell for the fishing community.