The Center for Biological Diversity announced it won a federal lawsuit against the West Coast branch of NOAA Fisheries on Wednesday, alleging that neglectful sablefish industry practices contributed to a quadrupled increase in humpback whale entanglements since 2018 — the highest since the 1980s.
Going forward, the CBD recommends that anglers start converting to ropeless fishing gear, along with the rest of the West Coast's fishing industry. "This is a clear win for endangered humpback whales, who face enough deadly threats in the water already," said Kristen Monsell, oceans legal director at the center."Fishing gear and lines in migrating humpback habitat mean more entanglements, and the Fisheries Service shouldn’t have ignored those risks. This victory will help them recover.