NOAA Fisheries announced more than $9 million from Inflation Reduction funds to support strategic partnerships aimed at improving fishing gear and population monitoring that will help the recovery of North Atlantic right whales. These partnerships include collaborations with state agencies, academic institutions, non-profit organizations, and science-based groups.
North Atlantic right whales are one of the most endangered species on the planet, and are approaching extinction. The primary threats to the species are entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes. Climate change is also impacting every aspect of their survival.
An estimated $6.9 million of this funding will support further development of on-demand (or “ropeless”) fishing gear technology by providing funds to fishing industry partners to assess and provide feedback on technologies that prevent fishing gear entanglements. NOAA Fisheries and its partners estimate that more than 85 percent of right whales have been entangled in fishing gear at least once in their lifetime. Reducing entanglements is necessary to prevent the extinction of—and ultimately recover—the species.
Approximately $2.8 million will fund partner efforts to improve monitoring and modeling efforts. Long-term population monitoring will provide essential insights into individual health and reproduction, as well as distribution, abundance, and habitat-use patterns.
How ironic! NOAA, the same government agency that is silent on the real reason for the sharp increase in whale deaths- namely, the offshore wind turbine industry. NOAA, the same taxpayer funded group that pushes the hoax that is ‘climate change’. How many folks are aware that NOAA has also given large grants to a half dozen “independent’ aquariums and their staff biologists who often are the ones who preform necropsies on the dead marine mammals. Do you think they might have reason to announce that the whales died from “ship strikes”? Or “entanglement” with commercial fishing equipment? Maybe the public needs to wake up and realize that the high decibel noise generated from turbine construction, as well as the sonar mapping of the ocean floor that occurs pre-construction is interfering with and damaging the whales’ ability to navigate- thus, avoiding dangers such as ships and fishing nets……. It’s a scam.