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Right Whale Update
#1
There is an ongoing crisis with Right Whales in the North Atlantic. There are thought to be only 400 Right Whales left and only 100 of those are females able to bear calves. Various changes in fishing practices and shipping regulations are being tested. Teams of scientists are out there studying the whales. 

There have been a number of whale deaths this year, mostly due to rope entanglements.
Efforts are being made to free entangled whales so they can survive.

https://globalnews.ca/news/5721659/canad...ht-whales/

This is an emergency as far as the Right Whales are concerned. It is a life and death fight and the whole species is in danger. It is a fight I hope we win.
However this is more than a fight for the Right Whale species. The whole of our plants oceans are in trouble. The Right Whales are getting entangled in rope because there is so much of it in the oceans. Whales and other marine mammals are being found dead with stomachs full of plastic. We have polluted and littered our oceans to the point that they are no longer safe for the creatures that normally live there. Also, Japan has started commercial whaling again. 
The oceans have become a global crisis and we need to act globally to fix this. Minimally, we need to stop dumping plastic in the oceans. The ghost gear that keeps entangling whales is a another problem entirely. We need to find a way to track it down and remove it from the water. Freeing entangled whales is good. Preventing entanglements would be better.
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Catherine

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#2
The whales are innocent victims of human activity. I also wonder whether all this trapping of whales in abandoned nets is accidental. Whales eat fish, thus the fishermen don't like them. I just ask the question (I have no proof): "Do some trawlermen leave nets in the sea, after use for fishing, on purpose?"
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#3
Quote:I also wonder whether all this trapping of whales in abandoned nets is accidental. Whales eat eat fish, thus the fishermen don't like them. I just ask the question (I have no proof): "Do some trawlermen leave nets in the sea, after use for fishing, on purpose?"
This is a question worth answering. If it isn't done deliberately, it certainly shows a lack of respect for the oceans. Too long the oceans have been a garbage can for things we want to get rid of. 
Could some of the discards be because we want to get rid of things that live in the ocean? Some of the ghost gear may be deliberate left behind. It is known that marine mammals have a lot of trouble with discarded ropes and nets.  I would like them to be able to identify the gear and return it to the person who discarded it, with appropriate fines. Maybe some community service would be in order. If you leave fishing gear behind you should have to spend a certain amount of time freeing trapped whales.

We need to be doing a lot more. The Right Whales are really a symbol of the emergency happening in all our oceans.
[Image: IMG_9091.JPG]
Catherine

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