Whale entanglements may be dropping but the threat remains, feds say

In this photo from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, a North Atlantic right whale entangled in fishing rope is sighted on Dec. 2, 2021, with a newborn calf near Cumberland Island, Ga. (AP)

PORTLAND, Maine — The number of whales entangled in fishing gear has declined recently, but the entanglements remain a critical threat to rare species, the federal government said in a report released Tuesday.

There were 53 confirmed cases of large whales entangled in gear in the U.S. in 2020, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Tuesday. That was a 25% decline from the previous year and a lower figure than the 13-year average, the agency said.