A major study looking into the deaths of North Atlantic right whales has found that entanglement in fishing gear has become a leading cause of mortality. Right whales are critically endangered, with only about 360 remaining in the world's oceans. However, from 2010 to 2015, a large majority of deaths were caused by fishing gear. Right whales are prone to entanglement in fishing gear because they often swim close to shore. But fishermen are already paying the cost of having to occasionally haul their traps up when right whales are known to be passing.

Source: CBC News November 26, 2020 16:21 UTC