An environmental group just sued the state of California, alleging that the state "wasn't doing enough to keep Dungeness crab fishing gear from killing protected whales."

That quote comes from the Associated Press, who also spoke with Kristen Monsell, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, which filed the suit. Monsell said of the incidents, "These entanglements are heartbreaking, illegal and way too common. California officials can’t let this minefield of crab traps continue to slaughter endangered whales and sea turtles."

The suit was filed in federal court in San Francisco, and in it, the Center alleges that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is responsible for the entanglement-related deaths since they authorized and managed a fishery which was responsible for the deaths of endangered whales. They believe that the department should also be more stringent in where they allow people to fish for Dungeness crabs, hopefully requiring that people place their gear farther away from waters where protected whales and turtles live.

The Center for Biological Diversity originally ran a press release back in June announcing their intent to sue the state of California over this matter. In it, they mention the fishery authorized and managed by the Department of Fish and Wildlife, saying that it was allegedly responsible for the deaths of "21 endangered or threatened whales, contributing to a third straight record-breaking year for entanglements along the U.S. West Coast." Their data comes from a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report on "West Coast Entanglements" dated March 2017.

According to another AP report, Monsell also commented on the injuries and deaths, saying, "We've been hearing for years now from both the state of California and fishermen that they care about the problem and want to address it. But nothing has changed other than more whales are getting tangled off our coast and dying painful, tragic deaths."

Related: Photo: Dead Humpback Whale Washes Up Near Pebble Beach