Seafood Watch responds to misinformation regarding red ratings of Canadian and U.S. fisheries that pose dire risk to the endangered North Atlantic right whale

Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program recently released red ratings for a number of Canadian and U.S. fisheries that use gear with vertical lines known to entangle the endangered North Atlantic right whale. The news was met by an abundance of misinformation that does not consider the full range of available scientific facts. We stand by our science-based assessments.

These fisheries violate U.S. laws. Despite management measures taken to date, a U.S. District Court Judge ruled in July 2022 that all pot/trap and gillnet fisheries in this region with vertical lines in the water are in violation of the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. There are fewer than 340 North Atlantic right whales left. These laws are in place to keep species from going extinct.

Entanglement in fishing gear is the leading cause of death for these whales. According to the most recent stock assessment, entanglement in fishing gear using vertical lines is the leading cause of serious injury and death to the North Atlantic right whale in Canadian and U.S. waters. Most right whale mortalities are unobserved, and the fishing gear is not always found with the whale determined to have died by entanglement. As a result, more than 90 percent of entanglements cannot be linked to a specific gear type, and only 12 percent of entanglements can be linked to a specific location (Knowlton et al. 2012; Kraus et al. 2019). The U.S. government has made it clear that, “the fact that right whales have not been identified in any recent interactions with lobstermen does not mean mortalities don’t occur.”

At this time, each fishery using this gear is putting this protected species at risk of extinction (NMFS 2021). There is documented serious injury and death due to fishing entanglement in U.S. and Canadian waters, including in recent years. These fisheries have more than one million lines in waters where North Atlantic right whales travel annually.

Scientists have warned for years that additional measures are needed to reduce entanglements. Sources show that current Canadian and U.S. approaches would allow impacts from fishing entanglement to continue at levels at least five times higher than the species could withstand (Hayes et al. 2022; NMFS 2021; NOAA 2022). On September 8, NOAA Fisheries announced that to meet legal requirements, additional risk reduction is needed in all East Coast gillnet and trap/pot fisheries.

Seafood Watch uses a robust, globally accepted approach to determining the environmental sustainability of a fishery. Our science-based assessments integrate and fully cite all relevant available data, including the latest government stock assessments, peer-reviewed science, and all state, provincial, and federal management measures. We also gathered input from scientific, government, industry, and conservation experts and through a public comment period. All comments were reviewed and incorporated consistent with the Seafood Watch Standard for Fisheries. Much of the information used in Seafood Watch’s assessment has been recently confirmed by a court ruling as the best available science.

Focus needs to be directed at solutions, which do exist. Misinformation is taking the focus away from the root of the issue, which is a dire need for governments and industry to put measures in place that will bring this iconic fishery back into compliance with the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act so that we can bring the North Atlantic right whale back from the brink of extinction. We are encouraged that NOAA is developing new regulations that aim for a 90 percent reduction in risk to these whales, and we are hopeful that the states and industry will work with NOAA to ensure these changes happen quickly. Per our assessment process, Seafood Watch remains committed to reviewing new, relevant information that indicates reduced entanglement risks to the North Atlantic right whale.

To learn more:

• Read the Seafood Watch statement
• Read FAQs about Seafood Watch’s latest assessments
• Read the assessment for U.S. American lobster (PDF)
• Read the New York Times article for additional context

About Monterey Bay Aquarium

With a mission to inspire conservation of the ocean, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is the most admired aquarium in the United States, a leader in science education, and a voice for ocean conservation through comprehensive programs in marine science and public policy. Everything we do works in concert to protect the future of our blue planet. More information at MontereyBayAquarium.org.