ATLANTIC OCEAN – Right whales, one of the world’s most endangered large whale species, may soon have one less threat to their existence, at least in the waters off Massachusetts.
The state legislature created an authority to remove abandoned fishing gear from Commonwealth waters. Bruce Tarr of Gloucester championed the measure for a long time, and he got it included in the final version of a sweeping economic development bill. Last month, Gov. Maura Healey signed the bill into law.
Fishing gear, such as lines and traps, can pose a danger to whales if they become entangled.
The bi-partisan, bicameral measure was also co-sponsored by Sens. Joan Lovely (D-Salem), Mark C. Montigny (D-New Bedford) and Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth).
“Left unchecked, abandoned fishing gear poses several threats to our marine environment and ecosystems,” said Tarr. He added that, “It ‘ghost fishes,’ increasing mortality without any harvest benefit, it presents a major risk for entanglement for right whales and other species, it clutters and pollutes the ocean floor, and it presents ongoing problems for coastal communities that have to deal with this form of pollution when it washes ashore and must be collected and disposed of before it does further damage.”
Massachusetts law views abandoned gear as private property, which prevents the state Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) from making or enforcing rules to remove this gear from state waters.
The new law reshapes how the agency can engage with the public to create regulations for the responsible removal of such gear, keeping private property concerns in mind.
“Derelict fishing gear has no place in our environment. Over 9 percent of fishing gear is lost or abandoned annually, but outdated state laws prevent efforts to recover it. This is a persistent problem—abandoned gear is a threat to endangered right whales, a safety hazard for mariners, a nuisance on our beaches, and a costly burden for municipalities to clean up,” said Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Tom O’Shea. “Thank you to Senator Bruce Tarr for leading this effort to modernize state law and streamline our department’s efforts to recover derelict gear.”
By the early 1890s, commercial whalers had pushed North Atlantic right whales to the edge of extinction. They earned the title of “right” whales because they floated after being killed, making them easy targets. While whaling is no longer a threat, these whales have not rebounded to their original population levels, and human activities still pose the biggest risk to their survival.
The passage of this amendment follows months of research on the subject by the DMF, and collaboration with Tarr and other legislators, with a focus on prioritizing the protection of right whales while recognizing the high price currently being paid by those in the commercial lobster fishery to protect this endangered species through the extreme economic sacrifice of enduring fishery closures that last for months and prevent harvesters and others from being able to earn a living. ♦
