Whales Continue to be Entangled and Die in Fishing Gear
Marine experts at Griffith University have reported that at least 45 whales were entangled by fishing ropes and lines on the East Coast in 2024, with dozens more likely caught but unreported.
That’s why PETA is reminding the public that as long as we consume the bodies of dead fish, whales will continue to be entangled and die in fishing gear. Our new billboards near whale migration watching hotspots in Southport, Queensland feature a whale ensnared in a tangle of fishing nets beside the text “Save the Whales. Don’t Eat Fish.”
Most whales fall victim to fish traps and crab pot lines, but trawling, during which giant nets sweep the ocean, also kills non-target species or “by-catch.” In addition to billions of fish, fishing nets capture dolphins, sea turtles, seabirds, and whales. Globally, it’s estimated that more than 500,000 marine mammals are incidentally captured every year.
Commercial fishing is indiscriminate, scooping up any animals in the nets’ path, causing animals to drown and die, and destroying delicate corals. Simply put, whenever you eat fish, you’re sentencing millions of other marine animals—including whales— to agonising and protracted deaths.
In addition to the mass deaths caused by active fishing operations, discarded fishing equipment (“ghost gear”) also poses a danger to marine animals. Ghost gear is known as the deadliest form of marine plastic debris, comprising 10 percent of marine plastic and mutilating and killing millions of sea animals annually.
Eating sea animals is not sustainable or ethical, so please leave them off your plate. With so many faux-seafood supermarket finds and recipes, you can let the fish swim free but hang on to the taste!
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