NOAA reports spike in whale entanglements off California coast, latest bad news in year of threats in and out of the ocean

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the last few days disclosed a spike in entangled whales off California in leading scientists and marine mammal biologists to worry about how this year will go as winter fishing seasons get underway Already sea creatures have been plagued in by deadly algae blooms bacterial illnesses and shifts in food sources as well as the always-present threats of fishing gear and ship strikes RELATED California s commercial Dungeness crab season delayed to protect whales Related Articles California s commercial Dungeness crab season delayed to protect whales Sperm whales Kiwi and Guava spotted off California coast On top of that the federal agency which plays an crucial role in enforcement probe and ensuring compliance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act has seen budget and staffing cuts this year and a multitude of of its ranks are as of now furloughed as the federal cabinet shutdown ticks on The shutdown is in its fourth week with Republican and Democratic lawmakers continuing their standoff over whether to tie an extension of a healthcare subsidy used by millions of Americans set to expire at the end of the year to a funding bill that would reopen the leadership Meanwhile thousands of leadership workers deemed non-essential are on furlough When we think about the approach to end species endangerment and protect biodiversity we need NOAA at all stages to have robust patronage to be able to do that Dave Bader a marine biologist at the Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles reported From the regulatory side to the advancement side to the enforcement side all of those right now could use encouragement and strengthening and we re seeing that get weakened The in recent times circulated NOAA statement says whale entanglements were certified in U S waters in compared to in The annual average between and was NOAA rescue teams were tracking an entangled humpback whale spotted off Laguna Beach in Photo courtesy of Delaney Trowbridge Newport Coastal Adventure A quarter of the entangled whales mostly humpbacks were broadcasted off California followed by Massachusetts with Alaska with and Hawaii with A multitude of of the whales were revealed wrapped in fishing gear primarily used to catch lobsters and crabs The gear often connected to a trap on the seafloor and a buoy at the surface can wrap itself around whales mouths tails and bodies leaving them struggling to feed and even swim Preliminary numbers from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for this year have broadcasted seven entangled whales off the California coast three in just the last month This analysis paints a clear picture our current safeguards are not enough declared Gib Brogan a senior scientist with Oceana the world s largest advocacy group for protecting the oceans sea creatures and support The assessment s release comes during an already bleak year for marine life especially off California In the first half of the year thousands of sea lions and dolphins stranded along beaches in Southern California multiple discovered dead poisoned by domoic acid created by toxic algae The algae blooms even affected whales with at least two ascertained dead on beaches in Southern California necropsies confirming high levels of toxins Up north hundreds of sea lions have been identified on beaches in current months suffering from a bacterial condition that is sickening and killing younger sea lions by attacking their kidneys stated John Warner CEO of the Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles in San Pedro The mortality rate is much higher this year in Northern California just like the mortality rate was higher than we ve ever seen here for domoic acid Warner stated To see mortality rates change pretty significantly in short periods of time raises eyebrows as it should At a time when there are bigger threats and existing ones that are starting to be so much worse with multiple species dying of sea lions dolphins and whales like we saw for the first time this year this is not the time to be gutting protections you d be expecting to have conversations about strengthening Warner mentioned of concern he and his colleagues have about the Trump administration s decision earlier this year to reduce staffing and budgets for NOAA Geoff Shester a senior scientist with Oceana also raised concerns about a draft bill in Congress pushed by Rep Nick Begich a Republican Congressman from Alaska that would change parts of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and relax its definition of harm If the definition is narrowed to actual injury as proposed and no longer includes sessions that displace whales or cause them to change behavior that would limit the federal agency s ability to mitigate threats Shester argued while also requiring a higher burden of proof for conservation actions Shester added that he has concerns about how a great number of mammals could end up being killed by human programs without triggering enforcement For example in California the limit is three entanglements of humpback whales before triggering a calendar-year closure of commercial fishing the MMPA changes could raise that limit to entanglements Shester declared During a House Subcommittee on Water Wildlife and Fisheries hearing this summer Begich revealed the -year act requirements updating arguing it has vague or overly precautionary standards Whale watching crews and rescue teams have been keeping track of an entangled whale first spotted on Saturday Dec and last seen Monday Dec Photo courtesy of Matt Stumpf Capt Dave s Dolphin and Whale Watching captain As the decades have passed we ve seen how its implementation particularly in the use of vague or overly precautionary standards has led to confusion delay and unintended harm Begich disclosed This draft aims to bring clarity objectivity and balance back into the implementation of the MMPA Meanwhile those on the front lines of rescuing and rehabilitating animals at care centers are concerned that the current furloughs and the possibility of job cuts could aftermath in less promotion for struggling ocean creatures Earlier this year the Trump administration s Department of Leadership Efficiency or DOGE as part of an effort to cut costs at the federal level included deep trims to NOAA s staff though chosen rehiring has happened in its National Weather Operation arm Using a Freedom of Information request staff at the Center for Biological Diversity the group that sued the California State Department of Fish and Wildlife for not doing enough to stop whale entanglements from fishing gear revealed that more than half people who were laid off worked to aid marine wildlife and ecosystems Of the people let go from offices nationwide the majority were on the West Coast mentioned David Derrick an attorney for the center s Oceans Operation When you combine that with the agency s ongoing underfunding the fact that Trump craved to slash funding even deeper and the steep and drastic cuts to the workforce as shown by responses to our FOIA requests it paints a grim picture for conservation keeping pace with rise and industry interests he explained in an email During the current shutdown the teams have a contact at NOAA to call in the event of an urgency with a protected animal but how swiftly a response could be mounted is a question Warner revealed They are the only ones who can A company from The Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles responds to an entangled gray whale off Palos Verdes in March Photo courtesy of the Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles NOAA is the only organization that can oversee the training of rescue crews for when an entangled whale is spotted and must have staff on the water to ensure the process is done correctly and safely NOAA s oversight provides coordination permitting and accountability that keeps the system working stated Dr Alissa Deming with the Pacific Marine Mammal Center adding that without the agency functioning at full force it strips away a layer of protection for marine life A squad from The Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles responds to an entangled gray whale off Palos Verdes in March Photo courtesy of the Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles When it goes quiet our nation s ability to protect marine mammals and understand what s happening in our oceans is seriously compromised she announced Marie Clark a longtime boat captain with Capt Dave s Dolphin and Whale Watching Safari out of the Dana Point Harbor stated she is already seeing the effects of cuts to the federal agency and now as lobster season gets underway she is concerned there is no oversight from federal administration who are furloughed We still have old traps out there certain may be from she reported of Southern California waters But there is no funding to check where the traps are put or to pull up old traps and fine fishermen