A group of Right Whales off the coast of Jekyll Island in 2018. They give birth near the Georgia coast in the winter.

A group of Right Whales off the coast of Jekyll Island in 2018. They give birth near the Georgia coast in the winter. / Sea to Shore Alliance, taken under NOAA research permit 20556

A federal judge has reinstated a fishing ban in New England that aims to protect North Atlantic Right Whales.A ban on gillnet fishing aims to protect Right Whales from entanglement.

 

The ban means commercial fishermen can no longer use Gillnets in a 3,000 square mile area off the coast of Nantucket. They use the nets to catch a variety of fish and Right Whales can get tangled in them.  

 

Cathy Sakas with the Gray Reef National Marine Sanctuary Foundation said entanglement is a leading cause of whale deaths.

 

“Banning gillnets in any parts of that eastern corridor is really crucial to making sure that they don’t come to harm with being entangled in nets.”

 

Later this month the whales will migrate to the coast of Georgia and Florida to have their calves.

 

Scientists estimate only about 400 North Atlantic Right Whales remain. Entanglements and boat strikes are the leading causes of their deaths.

 

Tags: Grays Reef National Marine Sanctuary  right whales  Augusta  Atlanta  Georgia  Macon  Savannah