How can a new type of fishing gear aid North Atlantic right whales? | Whale and Dolphin Conservation

There are only around 340 North Atlantic right whales remaining in the western Atlantic, with just 70 female whales of breeding age. Only a few calves are born each year so the loss of just a single whale is devastating.
One of the biggest threats they face is accidental entanglement in fishing gear, which can lead to a long and painful death.
Closing fisheries has an enormous impact on local economies and livelihoods so WDC and our partners have been trialing new types of fishing gear that can keep fisheries open and reduce the threat of entanglement to right whales. The project has been a huge success.
Check out this video to see the gear in action: • How On Demand Fishing ...
Find out more about this project at: us.whales.org/...
Find out more about North Atlantic right whales: us.whales.org/...
Partners:
Conservation Law Foundation - @CLFNewEngland
International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) - @ifawglobal
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution - @WHOI
NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center - @noaafisheries
#whales #climatechange #whalesorg

[@jennl93]

I had no idea this sort of thing existed! What keeps fishermen from using this over traditional, less safe methods?

[@duckshepherd2559]

Id'e guess unfamiliarity is a factor, but largely the cost of equipment, hopefully a way can be found to mitigate cost vs necessity.