The federal government on Tuesday announced the removal of the humpback whale from the endangered species list, despite environmental groups voicing criticism that fishing practices have made it harder for the marine mammals to recover.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which has jurisdiction over the nation’s fisheries, announced the decision Tuesday afternoon on a press call with reporters. The action removed nine of the 14 newly identified distinct populations of the whales from the Endangered Species Act. Four of the population segments remain protected as endangered, and one is listed as threatened. The whales have been listed as endangered for over 40 years.
“Today’s news is a true ecological success story,” said Eileen Sobeck, assistant administrator for fisheries at NOAA. “Whales, including the humpback, serve an important role in our marine environment. Separately managing humpback whale populations that are largely independent of each other allows us to tailor conservation approaches for each population.”
Two of the four whale groups that remain endangered are found in U.S. waters, but only during certain times of the year. “The Central America population feeds off the West Coast, while the Western North Pacific population does so in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands,” said NOAA. “The Mexico population — listed as threatened — also feeds off the West Coast of the United States and Alaska.”
Environmental groups said they welcomed the decision with some trepidation. “I’m happy to see that humpback whales are recovering after decades of protection as an endangered species, but I still have concerns that they’re not out of trouble yet with dozens being entangled each year in fishing gear off the West Coast,” said Miyoko Sakashita, oceans program director and senior counsel with the Center for Biological Diversity, in an email.
The announcement comes just days after President Obama announced the creation of the largest marine national park in the world, off the coast of Hawaii. The Obama administration said last week that the president’s actions on conservation have made it possible for delisting of the humpback whale.
The White House said the new marine park in Hawaii would be followed soon by NOAA making a final decision on removing 10 populations of humpback whales from the endangered species list, including nearly all of the whale species found in North American waters.”This is continued evidence that U.S. efforts to protect and restore thousands of endangered animals and plants are working,” the White House said last week. NOAA also issued two complimentary regulations for Hawaii and Alaska that put in place distance limits for boats and ships.
