PORTLAND, Maine — After years of taking the brunt of criticism for not doing enough to protect the North Atlantic right whale, Maine's lobster industry may have contributed to the first death of the endangered species whose numbers hover between 300 and 400.
A three-year-old female whale was found dead washed ashore on Martha's Vineyard in late January, prompting a slew of media reports about the loss of a possible breeding female. It wasn't until Feb. 14 that industry experts noted the ropes found attached to the whale could possibly belong to fishermen off the Maine coast.
"I, along with key policy, science, and enforcement staff went to Gloucester, MA to inspect the gear, review NOAA findings, and question them regarding any discrepancies we saw. Unfortunately, the gear is consistent with Maine trap/pot gear," Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher said in a public statement.
While the official cause of death for the right whale is under investigation, environmental groups and fishing groups expressed confidence it likely was from fishing gear.
"It's not anything we want for our fishery and we will continue to make sure that doesn't happen again in the future," Patrice McCarron, the policy director for the Maine Lobstermen's Association, said.
McCarron said that the lobster industry has abided by every restriction and has gone through many changes over the years to make sure the risk to whales is as low as it can be.
"When an incident of this emotional magnitude hits the media a lot of people don't understand the industry," McCarron said.
When it comes to the investigation into the body of the whale, the International Fund for Animal Welfare is looking into it.
"It was very clear she had suffered quite significantly from this entanglement," Kathleen Collins, the senior marine campaign manager for the IFAW said.
Collins said while the investigation is ongoing, they want to work with lobstermen to ensure they can both continue to work to protect the endangered whale.
"We are certainly not here to pit ourselves with the whales against the lobstermen ... it will ultimately take the involvement and cooperation of the lobster and crab industry," Collins said.