June 17, 2016 — The 45-foot creature might not notice when the rope first snags its mouth, its tail, or a flipper. But when it realizes what has happened, the whale will panic, thrashing and spinning underwater. This is the critical moment: Will it break the rope and swim free?
For the North Atlantic right whale, the answer most often is no.
In an effort to aid the endangered animal, the state is awarding $180,000 to the New England Aquarium to help develop whale-friendly fishing ropes that would help save them from entrapment and often painful deaths.
On Thursday, Massachusetts’ energy and environmental affairs secretary, Matthew Beaton, held a news conference outside the aquarium to announce the Baker administration’s support for the aquarium’s work, which emphasizes saving the dwindling North Atlantic right whale population.
Scientists say 83 percent of right whales show evidence — usually deep scars or unnaturally arched backs — of having been entangled in fishing rope, which over the past 20 years has been manufactured to be stronger.
Researchers at the aquarium are trying to create ropes that whales would be able to breakif they are entangled. Beaton said the ropes would be “workable for the industry and could minimize the severity of whale entanglements.”