Federal officials have confirmed that gear from Maine’s lobster-fishing industry was a factor in the January 2024 death of a young North Atlantic right whale—a critically endangered species—who washed up on Joseph Sylvia State Beach in Edgartown, Massachusetts, with a rope deeply embedded in her tail.

In response, PETA will share a striking message in the area that will remind people about the scores of hidden deaths of animals of all kinds caused by eating “seafood.” Our bold advertisement will show that all sea life is worth protecting. Check it out:

Imperiled right whales shouldn’t be sustaining fatal injuries from fishing gear any more than lobsters should be boiled alive or fish gutted on the decks of trawlers. PETA urges everyone to consider the high cost of putting any marine animal on their plate and go vegan.

Experts agree that the fishing industry is one of the greatest threats to all marine wildlife worldwide.

It’s estimated that more than 85% of North Atlantic right whales become entangled in fishing gear at least once in their life. Entanglements have killed at least nine and injured 70 other right whales since 2017.

Death due to gear entanglement is one of the biggest threats to right whales’ survival as well as to that of many of the world’s other cetacean species. Abandoned fishing gear kills roughly 300,000 whales, dolphins, and porpoises annually.

Did you know that whales have close-knit family structures and often communicate with one another through song? Mother whales dedicate years to caring for their calves, and some species “whisper” to their babies to protect them from predators. Some also use individualized calls to refer to one another, much as humans use names.

Here’s What You Can Do to Help Whales and Other Sea Life

It’s easy to find delicious vegan fish options—such as Gardein’s f’sh filets, Sophie’s Kitchen’s Fish Fillets, and Good Catch Plant-Based Crab Cakes—at a store near you. PETA will even send you a free vegan starter kit.

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