A humpback whale swims near the surface of a clear blue ocean.
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How a Greenpeace crew saved a whale tangled in fishing gear

Last week, the crew of Greenpeace’s ship Arctic Sunrise saved a humpback whale caught in fishing gear off the coast of Mexico.

The crew noticed the whale was thrashing her fin and spending an unusual amount of time at the surface. They suspected the whale might be distressed, then spotted two fishing buoys right by her. The ship’s crew sprang into action, launching an inflatable boat to get closer and carefully cutting the whale free.

The fishing gear was from a crab fishing boat licensed in Oregon in the USA. Gear from this area has been linked with whale deaths before. Greenpeace teams suspect this gear had likely been in the water for a while. And the whale was probably swimming with it attached for weeks, possibly even months!

The fishing gear was from a crab fishing boat licensed in Oregon in the USA. Gear from this area has been linked with whale deaths before. Greenpeace teams suspect this gear had likely been in the water for a while. And the whale was probably swimming with it attached for weeks, possibly even months!

In most cases, it’s safer to alert the authorities instead of attempting a dangerous rescue. But the remote location and high risk to the whale’s life prompted the crew to act quickly. Greenpeace has reported the incident to relevant authorities.

In most cases, it’s safer to alert the authorities instead of attempting a dangerous rescue. But the remote location and high risk to the whale’s life prompted the crew to act quickly. Greenpeace has reported the incident to relevant authorities.

Industrial fishing is a major threat to whales

For this whale, the story goes on. But many thousands of whales and dolphins are not quite as lucky.

Getting caught in fishing gear is the leading cause of death for whales and dolphins, killing over 300,000 each year. Ships often collide with whales too, making it the second biggest cause of death.

Add problems like plastic pollution and climate change to the threats from industrial fishing, and you start to see a grim picture for our oceans.

But we’ve long known there is an answer: ocean sanctuaries.

Ocean sanctuaries can help – and we need governments to take action now

Ocean sanctuaries – like national parks at sea – play a vital role in protecting ocean life. These areas would restrict fishing activities, providing a safe space for animals like whales to live, feed and bring up their children. Scientists say we need to protect 30% of our oceans by 2030 to stop their decline.

So far, world leaders have agreed on a Global Ocean Treaty. The Treaty is a major step for ocean protection. It makes it possible to create vast ocean sanctuaries where marine life can recover and thrive. But this can only begin once at least 60 governments have signed it into law.

The UK government played a leading role in negotiations for the Global Ocean Treaty in March. At the UN in September, it was also one of the first to say it plans to sign the Treaty into law. It looked like the government was on track to take the urgent action our oceans need. But now it’s planning to delay signing the treaty into law until after the next general election.

Any delay affects ocean sanctuary creation – meaning whales like the one saved last week won’t get the protection they need for even longer.

We know the government wants to be an ocean leader. But it currently risks stamping out this legacy and its commitment to 30% ocean protection by 2030. The steps the government can take to protect the oceans right now are clear: ratify the Treaty, ban deep sea mining, end new oil and gas.

Our leaders made a promise. Now they must keep it.

Tell UK leaders to act on ocean protection

The UK government made a promise to protect our oceans – and they must keep it. Tweet, call or email your MP now.