Where is it confirmed this is Maine lobster fishing gear? There are sadly many sources of line in the ocean. And that says nothing about vessel strikes. Why does Maine lobstering get attacked by no other potential sources of entanglement or whale death get addressed?

The question is a complex one. This letter, signed by Democrats and Republicans from the state makes a lot of good points. This article is also pretty unbiased, noting that it is essentially impossible to note where the gear comes from, although Maine gear has been marked since 2020. What I find interesting is that Right Whale populations grew 1990-2010, but only recently started falling. It seems to me that other factors are an issue that may not be understood.