PROTECTING WHALES, SUSTAINING FISHERIES

Oregon’s Collaborative Approach to Entanglement Risk

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By Ben Davis

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hen reports of whale entanglements in Dungeness crab gear began to rise a decade ago, the threat was twofold: devastating impacts on iconic whale populations and the potential collapse of Oregon’s most valuable fishery. The Dungeness crab fishery generates more than $70 million annually for the state’s coastal economy, anchoring infrastructure that supports countless other fisheries.

Rather than bracing for conflict, Oregon’s fishing industry, state agencies, and university researchers came together. The result is the Oregon Whale Entanglement project—a model of collaborative, community-engaged science that has now earned national recognition with the 2025 C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Scholarship Award, one of the most prestigious honors in the land-grant university community.

From Tension to Trust

The urgency was clear. In California, lawsuits and court rulings had forced abrupt closures of the crab fishery after numerous entanglement events. Oregon fishermen wanted to avoid a similar outcome. Conservation groups wanted meaningful protections for whales. State managers needed reliable data to act. And scientists saw a critical knowledge gap: no one knew with certainty when and where whales were present off Oregon’s coast.

In 2017, Oregon Sea Grant’s Amanda Gladics convened the first working group of fishermen, scientists, state managers, and conservation advocates.

“Fishermen were coming to us saying, ‘We need to get ahead of this before it becomes a crisis here,’” Gladics recalled. “My role was really about creating a space where people with very different perspectives could come together, listen to each other, and start building solutions.”

OSU associate professor Dr. Leigh Torres then stepped forward to address the knowledge gap by conducting extensive survey effort in Oregon waters, including an effective and enduring partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard to fly regular transects in their helicopters along the coast.

“Without reliable information on whale occurrence patterns, designing fair or effective management solutions was impossible,” Torres said. “Filling that gap became our first priority.”

Over time, this grassroots collaboration developed into a robust research and engagement program that has surveyed over 42,000 miles of ocean, detecting over 4,000 whales.

As the effort grew, the working group also gathered valuable input from the fishing community on potential management approaches and created outreach materials to share best practices across the fleet.

Science in Service of Community

The project’s scientific backbone is clear: Torres and her team analyze collected data to produce maps of whale occurrence, overlay them with fishing effort data provided by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), and identify the times and places where entanglement risks are highest.

This knowledge has led to targeted, practical solutions. For example, regulations now close the fishery outside the 40-fathom curve beginning May 1—timed to when whales were found to increase in Oregon waters. These measures protect whales without unnecessarily restricting fishermen.

Beyond policy, the team built trust through communication. Researchers regularly attend advisory meetings, share updates at ports, and even equip fishermen with cameras to document whale sightings and scars. These partnerships have generated thousands of photographs of humpback whales, deepening understanding of entanglement rates and advancing science in ways that would not have been possible without the fleet’s direct involvement.

Voices from the Coast

For Newport fisherman Justin Yager, the project has been transformative.

“At the beginning, we were arguing in the room over when the whales are even here. We didn’t know. This project gave us the real information so we can stop arguing over anecdotes and actually solve the problem.”

That access to solid, science-based knowledge has made it possible for the fleet to adapt without shutting down the fishery. For Yager and other crabbers, the collaboration means they can continue a way of life that supports families and entire coastal communities, while also protecting the whales they share the ocean with.

For Troy Buell, State Fishery Manager at ODFW, the collaboration has changed how regulations are designed.

“Without OSU’s science and the fishing community’s involvement, we’d be in a much less knowledgeable position.”

 

And for Amanda Gladics, who helped launch the original working group, the project demonstrates the power of community engagement.

“By bringing fishermen, agencies, and scientists together, we’ve shown what’s possible when everyone has a seat at the table.”

Together, these voices illustrate the strength of the partnership: fishermen committed to adapting, scientists providing vital knowledge, agencies shaping responsive policy, and engagement leaders ensuring that all perspectives are heard.

A National Model

The Oregon Whale Entanglement project demonstrates how land-grant universities can unite diverse interests to achieve solutions that no single group could reach alone. With OSU researchers, ODFW managers, commercial fishermen, conservation advocates, and federal partners all contributing, the initiative has transformed a looming conflict into a platform for shared stewardship of ocean resources.

The Kellogg Award celebrates this achievement, but the real legacy is ongoing: a fishery that remains viable, coastal communities that remain strong, and whale populations that are better protected for future generations.

As Torres put it, “Fisheries have to adapt and change over time to survive. Through science and partnership, Oregon is showing how that can be done.”

Learn more about marine mammal research at mmi.oregonstate.edu