Janet Coit, Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries, celebrates Stormy Mayo’s 48-year career spent conserving and studying marine life, including rescuing entangled North Atlantic right whales.
The national marine mammal entanglement response networks safely and effectively respond to reports of entangled marine mammals and provide response coverage in all coastal states.
Marine mammal bycatch is a significant anthropogenic threat to recovering populations. Gear reduction in Washington (USA) crab fishery decreased entanglement risk to whales.
When well-intentioned members of the public take matters into their own hands to try and save a whale, they put themselves and the animals in grave danger.