Feds announce funding push for ropeless fishing gear that spares rare whales

abcnews.go.com:

Federal authorities say new efforts to convert some types of commercial fishing to ropeless gear that is safer for rare whales will be supported by millions of dollars in funding

PORTLAND, Maine — New efforts to convert some types of commercial fishing to ropeless gear that is safer for rare whales will be supported by millions of dollars in funding, federal authorities said.

Federal fishing managers are promoting the use of ropeless gear in the lobster and crab fishing industries because of the plight of North Atlantic right whales. The whales number less than 360, and they face existential threats from entanglement in fishing gear and collisions with large ships.

The federal government is committing nearly $10 million to saving right whales, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said on Tuesday. Nearly $7 million of that will support the development of ropeless gear by providing funds to fishing industry members to assess and provide feedback on the technology, the agency said.

Lobster fishing is typically performed with traps on the ocean bottom that are connected to the surface via a vertical line. In ropeless fishing methods, fishermen use systems such an inflatable lift bag that brings the trap to the surface.

“It’s imperative we advance our collective actions to help recover this species, and these partnerships will help the science and conservation community do just that," said Janet Coit, the assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries.

The funding also includes a little less than $3 million to support efforts to improve modeling and monitoring efforts about right whales. Duke University's Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab will receive more than $1.3 million to build a nearly real-time modeling system