Right Whales Are Being Lost to the Fishing Industry - National Humane Education Society

Paws Down! To the American lobster industry for killing endangered right whales through incidental take.

November 18, 2020

The North American Right Whale has been listed as an endangered species for fifty years. Although they are no longer prey to whalers, they are often injured or killed by boat strikes or entangled in commercial fishing equipment. This is called “incidental take”–when endangered species such as right whales are killed accidentally in the process of fishing for other species such as lobsters and crabs.

There are currently fewer than 360 right wales in the world, and experts say that if action isn’t taken soon, they could be extinct within the next 25 years. Environmental and animal advocates alike are coming together to sue federal agencies for failure to enforce the Endangered Species Act, while scientists are trying to develop safer and more responsible methods of fishing to prevent the suffering and deaths of these majestic sea mammals.

Take Action: Educate others on the harmful practices of the lobster and crab fishing industries, and only buy products from sustainable sources. And, if at all possible, transition to a cruelty-free plant-based diet.