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north atlantic right whale

Deckhand Justin Middleton pulls in a crab trap off San Francisco, where new pop-up fishing gear is being piloted. Brand Little hide caption

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Brand Little

This fishing gear can help save whales. What will it take for fishermen to use it?

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Maine is the largest lobster-producing state in the U.S. Some of the gear used to catch the crustaceans poses an entanglement risk to the endangered North American right whale population. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

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Joe Raedle/Getty Images

North Atlantic right whales are at risk of extinction because they often become ensnared in ropes used to guide lobster traps along the Northeastern U.S. and Canadian coastline. David L. Ryan/Boston Globe via Getty Images hide caption

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David L. Ryan/Boston Globe via Getty Images