October 10, 2022 — New Hampshire fishermen are raising concerns about additional restrictions they’ll be facing in order to protect the critically endangered right whale.
The president of the New Hampshire Fish Council said guidelines are being worked out between the industry and National Marine Fisheries Service, but he said there has never been a recorded incident between a right whale and a New Hampshire fisherman.
Fewer than 350 endangered North Atlantic right whales remain in existence. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has documented 54 incidents of deaths or serious injuries of right whales due to unusual circumstances from 2017-2022. Eleven deaths were confirmed to be from vessel strikes, and nine were entanglements, though none were documented in New Hampshire waters.