(people in clip shouting)
KP: It's a zodiac but-
Oh, watch out, sir!
(sound effects)
(background music) (background noise in clip)
Goodness gracious.
Welcome back, friends.
So, we had originally planned to bring you guys
a fun video on the science of
why whale carcasses explode this week,
but as you saw, news just broke that 'Whole Foods'
has pulled Maine Lobster from its shelves
after the delicacy was red-listed by
Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch.
If you're new here, I'm KP, a marine biologist
who specializes in marine mammals.
(background music)
I have to disclose that I am actually
a very staunch supporter
of the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
In fact, over on my Twitch channel,
we hosted a charity event for them
that raised about $10,000.
Monterey Bay Aquarium does a lot of good work,
and they have a lot of
interesting conservation programs.
One such conservation program
is the Seafood Watch.
This is a seafood sustainability list.
The purpose of the Seafood Watch is
to use science-based recommendations
to inform consumers and restaurants
about whether or not the seafood was
harvested in ways that carry a high risk
of harming wildlife or the environment.
(background music)
And to leverage that consumer pressure
to force the fishing industry
into doing more to protect the environment.
At the same time,
I'm very sympathetic to those
that are affected by the losses
caused by this kind of a distinction.
Being red-listed can result in
millions of dollars of lost income.
(background music)
Monterey Bay Seafood Watch is partnered
with some massive suppliers,
such as Disney, Hello Fresh,
and of course, Whole Foods.
And the Maine Lobster industry is pushing back.
Maine lawmakers are introducing a bill to
cut federal funding for the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
And that's the reason that decisions like this
need to be backed by hard science.
You are taking away someone's
means of putting bread on the table.
On the flip side,
stripping Monterey Bay Aquarium of their funding
would be a huge blow
to some of their conservation programs,
like their sea otter surrogacy program
which is basically single-handedly responsible
for the rise of sea otter populations
off the California coast.
So why was Maine Lobster red-listed?
Well, it wasn't just lobster.
All seafood caught
from vertical lines from pots and traps
are now red-listed.
And the reason is because of the threat
these vertical lines pose to marine mammals.
Specifically, the North Atlantic right whale.
(background music)
North Atlantic right whales are some of the most
critically endangered animals in the world.
There are less than 340 individuals left in our oceans,
and only around 100 breeding females.
"The number of right whales
killed or injured by human activities
must be limited to less than one per year
in order for the population to recover."
And the leading cause of death
in Northern right whales?
Is entanglement in vertical lines
used to catch animals like lobsters,
crabs, or other crustaceans.
The NOAA estimates that there are
more than one million vertical lines deployed
throughout right whale migratory routes.
With over 600,000 in U.S. waters alone.
And over 85% of all right whales
show scars caused by entanglement,
and about 100 new scars are detected each year.
(background music)
Even whales who survive these entanglements
are negatively affected.
A study by the New England Aquarium found
that female right whales who survive entanglements
had significantly lower birth rates,
and increased calving intervals.
While disentangling these whales can be done,
it is extremely difficult and very dangerous.
Not only that, but it takes a
very specialized team of trained professionals
performing under strict permits.
Not everyone can do it -
as we see in this video, courtesy of
Georgia Department of Natural Resources,
Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission,
and the Sea to Shore Alliance.
(background noise in clip) (background music)
(chuckles)
They're doing this too at like high speeds!
(people in clip talking: "Yeah, yeah, the angle...[inaudible])
KP: It's a zodiac but- oh, watch out, sir!
(background noise in clip) (background music)
Goodness gracious.
(background noise in clip) (background music)
Look at the size of this pole, too -
this man's holding like a 16 foot pole and just...
(background noise/chatter in clip) (background music)
Oh, so this is like a head entanglement.
Oh this sucks.
(people in clip: "He's in, he's in, back up, back up, back up") (background music)
KP: Oh my gosh.
(people talking in clip [inaudible]) (background music)
KP: Goodness gracious!
(background noise in clip) (background music)
Rope could rip your hand off!
(background noise/chatter in clip) (background music)
KP: Oooof
(person in clip: "Hold that, let's hold it guys [inaudible]")
KP: And the animal's exhausted
(background chatter/noise in clip) (background music)
KP: Dragging all this gear,
it's part of the problem.
(background noise in clip) (background music)
(person 1 in clip: "It's in there? Okay")
(person 2 in clip: "I saw it lift up-")
(person 1 in clip: "Okay, good, good, good, good. Okay good.")
It should also be noted that
the Monterey Bay Aquarium is not acting alone.
Their decision is supported by
globally recognized conservation programs,
such as the Natural Resources Defense Council,
and the non-profit Marine Stewardship Council,
who just announced that
it is suspending its sustainability certificate
for the Gulf Maine Lobster Fishery.
Additionally, last July, a federal court
found that the NOAA had broken the law,
and violated both the Endangered Species Act
and the Marine Mammal Protection Act
when it failed to do enough
to protect these Northern right whales
from entanglements in vertical fishing lines.
But this is where the
controversy enters the conversation,
because the Maine Lobster fisheries feel that they are
being accused of a crime without proper evidence.
Supporters of the Maine Lobster industry
will point out that there hasn't been
a confirmed entanglement
from the lobster fishing gear in Maine since 2004.
(background music)
And the Maine Stewardship Council
has acknowledged that there is no direct evidence
to show that the fishery is responsible
for entanglements of right whales.
But that's not necessarily the whole story.
As usual.
Because when a right whale
becomes entangled in lobster or crabbing gear,
it is nearly impossible to detect
where that gear came from.
According to Monterey Bay,
more than 90% of entanglements
cannot be linked to a specific gear type,
and only 12% of the entanglements
can be linked to a specific location.
And this, is in turn, corroborated by researchers
at the New England Aquarium,
who examined over 1600 entanglement scars.
"...were only able to trace 16
to a specific fishing gear and location."
But a spokesperson for the NOAA told NPR that...
the agency has "documented several large
whale entanglement incidents
involving Maine Lobster gear
since the Maine fisheries began
marking their gear in purple."
(background music)
Which was a new requirement
that came into effect in 2020.
And "given the low number of right whales,
documented entanglements are more rare."
(background music)
And as I mentioned,
with the population at the level that it is,
even one entanglement could
spell the end of this entire species.
And would exceed the
potential biological removal level
established by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
(background music)
But this is a really tricky situation,
because Maine has more than 4000 people
working at Lobster fisheries,
and Maine itself hauls in
about 82% of the US' lobster quota.
The state of Maine accounts for
half of all lobster landings in the North Atlantic,
with a value of around $725 million in 2021.
(background music)
And the Maine Lobster industry
has taken steps to help protect the right whales.
(background music)
Including working with the NOAA
and other environmental organizations
to develop safer forms
of gear and methods, like ropeless traps.
(background music)
There is hope that further improvements
to the lobster gear and fishing methods,
along with other measures,
could reduce the risk of entanglement
and restore the fisheries' sustainability rating.
But in the meantime,
what can we do to help the 4000 people
working in the Maine Lobster industry?
In my opinion,
it's the same thing that we do to help farmers
in drought years with diminished incomes.
In 2021 and 2022,
the USDA provided a total of $31 billion
to help almost a million farmers.
Which I also advocated for in my video
on the canceled Alaskan snow crab season,
which you can find right up here.
Many of these families
are calling for government relief programs,
and I agree - we should absolutely help out
Alaskan families that rely on these fisheries.
Because these are real people
with medical bills, mortgages, rent...
Don't forget to 'like' and subscribe,
especially if you want to be notified
when that exploding whale video goes live.
I'll catch you next time.
Cheers!
(film rolling sound effect)
Don't forget to 'like' and sss...
(clears throat)
(background music)
Don't forget to 'like' and subspr...subsprr?
(makes funny noise)
(DoubleAgentXV: "That's your favorite word")
KP: I hate this f'ing word, man
(background music)
Don't forget to 'like' and subscribe
Tss...if I did...it was so close...
(background music)
Don't forget to subscribe and 'like'!
(KP laughs)
(background music)
And the Maine Lobster industry
has taken steps to help
protect the lo-
the right whales.
The lobster whales!
Which I also advocated for
in my video about the
cancelled Alaskan king crab-
not king crab, the snow crab, the snow crabs!
(background music)
Were only able to trace 16
to a specific fishing gear and location.
(background music)
(thump/falling noise of picture board on wall)
(background music)
(DoubleAgentXV laughing)
(background music)