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Scientists, Fishermen Tackle Problem Of Whales Entangled In Ropes

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Biologists with Duke University and UNC-Wilmington spot a 4-year-old male right whale entangled in heavy fishing rope while conducting research for the U.S. Navy 40 miles east of Jacksonville, Florida. (FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute/Flickr)
Biologists with Duke University and UNC-Wilmington spot a 4-year-old male right whale entangled in heavy fishing rope while conducting research for the U.S. Navy 40 miles east of Jacksonville, Florida. (FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute/Flickr)

Environmental activism helped put a stop to commercial whaling, and populations of humpbacks and other whales have rebounded since the 1970s. But one species of whales is particularly endangered — the North Atlantic right whale.

While scientists aren’t always sure of what is killing whales, one of the biggest dangers the animals face is getting tangled in ropes.

Sam Evans-Brown of Here & Now contributor New Hampshire Public Radio reports on what researchers and fisherman are doing to protect whales from ropes.

Read more on this story via New Hampshire Public Radio.

Reporter

Sam Evans-Brown, host of New Hampshire Public Radio's Outside/In. He tweets @samebnhpr.

This segment aired on July 14, 2016.

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