And Maine lobster gear needs to be marked with identification that can trace it back to the lobster boat. So if there were ever a whale that was killed by Maine lobster gear they would be able to ID the boat in question. This is why when anyone says they have evidence I tend to want to ask for the identification details on the recovered gear.

I hate to be a conspiracy guy but I wonder how much of this is a distraction from the damage about to be done by the offshore wind. Now don't get me wrong I think we need offshore wind and think the environmental damage is a reasonable price to pay. But I'm frustrated by the lack of honesty with the whole situation.

And of course, once the lobstermen have been cleared out the construction begins on the offshore wind in the very areas they are saying need to be free of human activity in the water column. Now don't get me wrong I want both lobster and offshore wind but I'm finding it all curiously convenient time-wise. I suspect there is something fishy going on.

http://rwcatalog.neaq.org/#/

Did not mean that they all have radio trackers on them. They are closely monitored as an endangered species. With all of this they have still never actually found a single right whale that has been killed by Maine lobster gear. The actual danger these days is a combination of pollution and ship strikes from larger ships that often go 30+ knots when offshore and actually are tracked via AIS. It will be interesting to see what happens when the 10-knot speed limit eventually passes for most of the US East Coast out to 10 miles.

Yes. Right whales are all tracked. And the council admits their concern is a “potential” risk to the whales. They are also advocating a 10 mile per hour limit on all boats in East Coast waters.