For some whales, the news is a little better: the Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation is helping lobster fishermen change over to new kinds of pot warp that may not ensnare fin, humpback and right whales. For every pound of floating rope turned in at a one-day event earlier this summer, lobstermen received a voucher for $1.40 toward the purchase of sinking rope. Since it’s estimated that it will cost the average fisherman $3,500 to change warps, the vouchers won’t cover the whole cost, but they’ll certainly help. The rope exchange is one good idea — in this case, put forward by fishermen themselves and their own organization — that could help solve a problem (marine entanglements) that can seem intractable. It doesn’t help prevent the ship strikes that can also harm whales, but another good idea — re-routing shipping lanes during migrations– has already been implemented in the Bay of Fundy.