Several Humpback Population Segments No Longer Listed as Endangered

A humpback whale breaches on Stellwagen Bank about 25 miles east of Boston, Monday, Aug. 22, 2005. The area around Stellwagen Bank is designated as a national marine sanctuary. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

A humpback whale breaches on Stellwagen Bank about 25 miles east of Boston, Monday, Aug. 22, 2005. The area around Stellwagen Bank is designated as a national marine sanctuary. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

WOODS HOLE – Conservation efforts for humpback whales across the world over the last 40 years is being hailed a success.

NOAA Fisheries announced that endangered humpbacks in 9 of 14 distinct population segments have recovered enough to warrant not being listed under the Endangered Species Act.

Chief of NOAA Fisheries Endangered Species Division Angela Somma says conservation efforts must continue.

“Four of those populations, unfortunately, still qualify as endangered species and one population is considered threatened under the Endangered Species Act,” Somma said.

The U.S. listed all humpback whales as endangered in 1970.

All humpback whales remain protected in U.S. waters and on the high seas under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, regardless of their Endangered Species Act status.

“What these regulations are doing is ensuring that those regulations dealing with approaching them by vessels continue to stay in place under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act so we can ensure their continued successful conservation and recovery of those animals,” Somma said.

A whaling moratorium imposed in 1982 by the International Whaling Commission played a large role in the comeback of humpback whales and remains in effect.

“Whales, including the humpback, serve an important role in our marine environment,” said Eileen Sobeck, assistant NOAA administrator for fisheries, in a statement. “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 populations that remain endangered can be found in U.S. waters at certain time periods of the year. The Central American population feeds off the West Coast and the Western North Pacific population feeds in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands.

The population listed as threatened, the Mexico population, also feeds off the West Coast of the U.S. and Alaska.

By BRIAN MERCHANT, CapeCod.com NewsCenter

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