Waters off California, Massachusetts, Alaska, and Hawaii saw a sharp rise in whale entanglements last year, part of a nationwide increase documented in a new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The agency confirmed 95 large whales became entangled in 2024, up from 64 the previous year and above the historical average of about 71 annually. Most of the cases involved threatened or endangered humpback whales, and critically endangered North Atlantic right whales were also affected.

The report comes as NOAA faces budget cuts and as Congress debates weakening the Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to a news release.

Fishing gear that uses traps to catch lobster, crab, and other species remains a leading cause of whale deaths. Ropes connecting traps on the se

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