Saving Seafood

Rope removed from right whale found washed up on Martha’s Vineyard may be from Maine buoy line, officials say

February 15, 2024 — The rope found embedded in a juvenile North Atlantic right whale that washed up on Martha’s Vineyard on Jan. 28 was consistent with water traps and buoy lines from Maine, federal officials said Wednesday.

NOAA Fisheries said that its analysis of the fishing gear, “including the purple markings on the rope,” found it was consistent with lines used in Maine waters.

The endangered whale, a female, was found near Joseph Sylvia State Beach on the Vineyard, officials said. NOAA Fisheries worked with the International Fund for Animal Welfare and other partners to recover the carcass and conduct a necrop

Read the full article at the Boston Globe

Scientists look for clues to right whale death on Martha’s Vineyard. It could take weeks.

February 10, 2024 — For about half her life, the North Atlantic right whale that washed up dead Jan. 28 on a Martha’s Vineyard beach lived with fishing rope wrapped around her tail and flukes, making her existence increasingly difficult and painful as she grew.

A team of more than 20 scientists last week conducted a necropsy on the 3-year-old female whale, looking for clues about her cause of death, which has yet to be determined, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Division. Researchers at the New England Aquarium‘s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life were able to identify her as the 2021 calf of the right whale known as Squilla, the now approximately 17-year-old’s only known calf.

The dead whale is listed in the North Atlantic right whale catalog as #5120 and was last seen alive in Cape Cod Bay in January 2023. Found washed up on Jan. 28 just south of Joseph Sylvia State Beach — a barrier beach along Nantucket Sound between Oak Bluffs and Edgartown — she was moved to Aquinnah for the investigation.

Read the full article at Cape Cod Times

NOAA cites ‘chronic entanglement’ in death of juvenile right whale that washed up on Martha’s Vineyard

February 7, 2024 — Rope entanglement appears to be a factor in the death of a juvenile North Atlantic right whale that washed up on Martha’s Vineyard on Jan. 28, federal officials said Monday.

NOAA Fisheries said in a statement that the whale “had a chronic entanglement and was seen in poor health before its death. Experts are examining the rope and other samples collected from the whale.”

The deceased whale washed up near Joseph Sylvia State Beach on the Vineyard, officials said. NOAA Fisheries worked with the International Fund for Animal Welfare and other partners to recover the carcass and conduct a necropsy.

Read the full article at the Boston Globe

Examination Continues into Cause of Whale’s Death on Martha’s Vineyard

February 6, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

On January 28, 2024, NOAA Fisheries was notified of a deceased female North Atlantic right whale near Joseph Sylvia State Beach on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. We worked closely with the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Stranding Network partners, and local responders to recover the carcass and conduct a necropsy.

Preliminary observations indicated the presence of rope entangled near the whale’s tail. State law enforcement officials collected some of the rope and turned it over to NOAA’s Office Law Enforcement. It is now being examined by gear experts.

Whale Identified as #5120

Last week, scientists at the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life reviewed several images of the dead North Atlantic right whale. They matched it to whale #5120 in the right whale catalog based on clear matching features, such as callosity patterns and markings. This right whale, the only known calf of Squilla (#3720), was born during the 2021 calving season.

Necropsy Confirms Chronic Entanglement

A stranding response team completed the necropsy of North Atlantic right whale #5120 on February 1, 2024. From the necropsy, experts confirmed a chronic entanglement, with rope deeply embedded in the tail, and thin body condition. The necropsy showed no evidence of blunt force trauma. Cause of death is pending further histological and diagnostic testing of collected samples, which can take weeks to complete. We will share more information as it is available.

Large whale experts at the International Fund for Animal Welfare led the necropsy, with the assistance of more than 20 biologists from:

  • Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah)
  • Atlantic Marine Conservation Society
  • Whale Dolphin Conservation
  • New England Aquarium
  • Center for Coastal Studies
  • Marine Mammals of Maine
  • Virginia Aquarium
  • Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative

Previous Entanglements

Aerial survey teams had previously seen right whale #5120 several times with entanglements, including August 2022 and January 2023.

Whale #5120 was last seen in June 2023 by Northeast Fisheries Science Center aerial observers, 60 miles northeast of Shippagan, New Brunswick. She was feeding with other whales. Her overall condition had declined and the wounds from the wraps of rope at the peduncle appeared to be more severe. No trailing line or buoys were seen.

Studies suggest that more than 85 percent of North Atlantic right whales have been entangled at least once. About 60 percent have been entangled multiple times. Entangling rope can cut into a whale’s body, cause serious injuries, and result in infections and mortality. Even if gear is shed or removed through disentanglement efforts, the time spent entangled can severely stress a whale, weaken it, and prevent it from feeding. It can sap the energy it needs to swim, feed, and reproduce.

Dead right whale at Martha’s Vineyard was seen entangled off Canada in 2022

February 5, 2024 –A dead North Atlantic right whale that washed up at Martha’s Vineyard was identified as a 3-year-old female that was first seen entangled in the Gulf of St. Lawrence off Canada in 2022, according to scientists at the New England Aquarium.

First observed by researchers as a calf in 2021, the young whale was dubbed #5120 in a catalog maintained by the aquarium and other whale tracking groups. In August 2022 #5120 was sighted again, entangled in fishing gear in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

“Multiple attempts were made to disentangle the whale in January and February of 2023 off Cape Cod,” according to a summary issued by the New England Aquarium. “She was resighted still entangled in June 2023 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, with her overall body condition declining as the rope constricted around her tail had become more deeply embedded.”

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Why Vineyard Wind is a legal test case for US clean energy

January 21, 2024 — Three lawsuits down, at least three appeals to go.

So it goes for Vineyard Wind, the 62-turbine offshore wind farm under construction south of Massachusetts. The three cases — which all challenge the project’s federal permits — are now in front of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

How those lawsuits fare will help determine whether the Biden administration can meet its goals to boost renewable power generation while satisfying traditional environmental laws meant to protect wildlife and ecosystems. President Joe Biden has committed to permitting 16 offshore wind projects by the end of this year — a build-out opposed by commercial fishing interests and conservative groups who argue installing wind turbines harm marine ecosystems and endangered species.

Read the full article at E&E News

Seasonal Resident Files Vineyard Wind Appeal

November 7, 2023 — A seasonal Edgartown resident is challenging a federal court’s ruling on his lawsuit that tried to halt Vineyard Wind, the offshore wind energy development in construction south of the Island.

Thomas Melone, who owns a home on the Vineyard and is the president of a solar energy company, filed a lawsuit in 2021 against the National Marine Fisheries Service, claiming several agencies were violating the Endangered Species Act when they approved the 62 turbines. That case was dismissed by U.S. District Court judge Indira Talwani in August.

On Monday, Mr. Melone filed a brief with the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals, claiming the National Marine Fisheries Service did not meet all of the federal requirements when it approved Vineyard Wind, and that some of its interpretations of statutes are “unreasonable.” In his brief, he also contended the U.S. District Court erroneously allowed Vineyard Wind to be involved in his lawsuit.

Read the full article at the Vineyard Gazzette

MASSACHUSETTS: The First Vineyard Wind Turbine Rises Off Nantucket

October 14, 2023 — The first of Vineyard Wind’s 62 turbines has been assembled in the waters southwest of Nantucket.

These photos were taken today from Madaket Beach with 400mm and 600mm camera lenses, and the images are cropped to show the view of the turbine in the distance. This turbine will be one of the closest to Nantucket in Vineyard Wind’s lease area. While they will certainly be visible, Vineyard Wind’s turbines won’t appear this large to the naked eye.

The turbine components left the port of New Bedford in early September, squeezing through the city’s hurricane barrier behind a tugboat, and heading out to sea. The assembly was delayed due to weather conditions over the past month.

Read the full article at the Nantucket Current

MASSACHUSETTS: Wind Power Demand High, But So Are Costs

September 10, 2023 — Gov. Maura Healey last week announced a new effort to procure up to 3,600 megawatts of offshore wind power – the largest call out to developers in the state’s history.

Together with three electric companies, the state is seeking projects to produce what amounts to about 25 per cent of Massachusetts’ annual electricity demand. The new request for proposals will likely be welcomed by offshore wind energy developers that have stalled under pre-pandemic agreements to supply power to the state’s main utility companies.

Two companies with plans to place wind turbines off Martha’s Vineyard have agreed to pay tens of millions of dollars to get out of old contracts that they said made the projects economically unviable.

The procurement push from the state is for projects that already have a lease in the outer continental shelf area more than 10 miles south of the Island and signals a willingness to offer developers flexibility as the state strives for more renewable energy.

“With our top academic institutions, robust workforce training programs, innovative companies and support from every level of government – Massachusetts is all-in on offshore wind,” Ms. Healey said in a statement on August 30.

The day before the state’s announcement, SouthCoast Wind agreed to pay $60 million to get out of its contract with three utilities that it had promised to supply power to from the proposed farm 30 miles off the Island. Commonwealth Wind, another developer planning to build to the south of Martha’s Vineyard, agreed to pay $48 million earlier this year.

“Closing these contracts was never the plan but impacts of Covid-related supply chain disruptions and the war in Ukraine made them unfinanceable,” SouthCoast Wind spokesperson Martha Keeley said in a statement to the Gazette.

Read the full article at Vineyard Gazette

Second Wind Developer Moves to Terminate its Contracts

September 6, 2023 — Another offshore wind developer took a major step Tuesday toward scrapping its initial plans for an installation in waters off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard.

SouthCoast Wind, whose pair of successful bids represented a combined 1,200 megawatts of anticipated offshore wind power, agreed to pay utility companies $60 million to terminate contracts the parties previously struck for the clean energy.

The penalty would be divided into $32.4 million for Eversource, $27.3 million for National Grid, and $591,000 for Unitil, according to contract amendments filed with the Department of Public Utilities.

Read the full article at Seafoodnews.com