9 orcas have died so far this year after they were trapped in fishery equipment off the coast of Alaska

• Nine orcas have died after becoming entangled in fishing equipment off the Alaska coast this year.
• Only five orcas died from fishing equipment in the region between 2016 and 2020.
• While equipment-related orca deaths have risen since 2020, they spiked this year.

Nine killer whales, also called orcas, have died this year after being found caught in fishery equipment off the Alaska coast.