Entanglements typically occur when whales come into contact with buoy lines (or rope) that connect to fishing gear on the seafloor, such as traps. In 2018, large whale entanglements were confirmed in the waters of 11 states and one U.S. territory, with more than half occurring off California and Massachusetts. The most frequently entangled whale species were humpback, gray, minke and North Atlantic right whales. In 2018, over 80% of confirmed cases involved gear used in fishing, and half could be directly attributed to a specific fishery.

On the U.S. West Coast, there has been a significant increase in the number of confirmed whale entanglements since 2014, with the majority reported from California. During this period, the most commonly identified source of entanglements was Dungeness crab gear. The majority of entanglements were humpback whales, followed by gray whales. Blue whales, fin whales, killer whales, minke whales, sperm whales, and leatherback sea turtles have also been reported entangled in fishing gear. In 2021, reported entanglements on the West Coast continued to be higher than what occurred prior to 2014, although lower than the peak years from 2015 to 2018.

In response to the increase in reported entanglements, state and federal fishery managers, in consultation with industry leaders and other stakeholders, are collaboratively working to identify and implement solutions to reduce entanglement risk in the Dungeness crab fishery. As part of this effort, the Foundation is supporting a collaborative effort to trial fishing gear modifications and innovations designed to reduce entanglements while allowing for continued fishing activity. Key partners and advisors include the California Ocean Protection Council (OPC), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA Fisheries), West Coast National Marine Sanctuaries, California Dungeness Crab Fishing Gear Working Group (Working Group), and fishermen collaborators. 

The project will trial multiple pop-up fishing systems, including on-demand and timed-release gear designed to minimize the amount of time that buoy lines are in the water column (listed below). These specific innovations were selected based upon recommendations from the Working Group, previous gear demonstrations conducted in September 2019, and fishermen interest.

Results from these trials will guide further gear development and testing, and ultimately inform decisions by state and federal fishery managers regarding continued fishing activity during periods of elevated marine life entanglement risk.