July 28, 2025 — Fishing gear is a hazard to whales. When they get caught in fishing lines, it’s called “entanglement” and it puts them at risk for injury and death.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) keeps track of the incidents, and its latest report, released this month, shows data from 2023. That’s when 64 large whales were found entangled in fishing gear in U.S. waters.
That confirmed number was down from the previous year, when there were 67 incidents.