According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) it may be time to lift endangered species protection for the animals worldwide, including those in American waters.
The animals, which were hunted to the brink of extinction by commercial whalers have bounced back strongly in recent years. In 2008, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) moved the humpback from the “vulnerable” category to “least concern” and US fishery officials are now suggesting that the government should follow suit.
Although commercial whaling hasn’t been a big issue in the United States for many years, the removal of Endangered Species Act safeguards would mean that ships would no longer be required to check noise levels, which could constitute harassment of the animals. It would also mean that officials would not closely track vessel strikes involving humpbacks.
Under the proposal, which is now open for comment, whale populations in Northwest Africal, off the Cape Verde Islands and in the Arabian sea would remain endangered. Populations off Japan and in Central American waters would be moved from endangered to threatened.
Humpback whale populations off California, Hawaii and eight other locations including Australia and Mexico would be removed from the U.S. threatened and endangered list.
While U.S. law isn’t enforceable outside the country and its waters, it does apply to American commercial fishermen in international law and U.S. funded projects in other countries.
In no case would the removal of protection mean a return to commercial whaling, which was always the greatest threat to the animals and drove them to the brink of extinction. Commercial whale was banned by the International Whaling Commission in 1966.
Humpbacks, which can grow to 60 feet in length and weigh 40 tons, were prized for their blubber by commercial fishermen. Humpbacks are known for occasionally jumping out of the water, it is this behaviour that draws tourists to whale watching expeditions, but it also made them easier targets for whale hunters and, given their size, a single whale could bring a large amount of money.
In 1970 it was believed than only a few thousand of the animals remained. However, scientists currently put their numbers in the tens of thousands globally.
With commercial whaling outlawed, the greatest threats to the animals now are ocean pollution, ship strikes and entanglement in fishing nets.
Rebecca Noblin, Alaska director for the Center for Biological Diversity, told the Boston Herald that she feels the action could be premature given the onset of climate change and its impact on the world’s oceans.
“It would really be beneficial to continue to have the protections of the Endangered Species Act as the oceans change,” said Noblin.
Attorney David Henkin of Earthjustice has said that the law firm is pleased that the whale’s numbers are rising but that those gains in population came from the protections that government officials now wants to lift. According to Reuters, Earthjustice is currently reviewing the NOAA’s numbers to learn if the move is scientifically or politically driven.
The comment period on the proposal will last for 90 days. The full text of the proposal can be found in the Federal Register.
