HONOLULU — The federal government on Monday proposed removing most of the world’s humpback whale population from the endangered species list.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries wants to reclassify humpbacks into 14 distinct populations, and remove 10 of those from the list.
“As we learn more about the species — and realize the populations are largely independent of each other — managing them separately allows us to focus protection on the animals that need it the most,” Eileen Sobeck, assistant NOAA administrator for fisheries, said in a statement.
The federal agency said in a release announcing its proposal that protection and restoration efforts have led to an increase in humpbacks in many areas.
Under the plan, two of the populations would be listed as threatened — in Central America and the Western North Pacific. The agency said these whales at times enter U.S. waters.
The other two populations — in the Arabian Sea and off Cape Verde and northwest Africa — would remain listed as endangered.
If the proposal passes, the humpback populations that are removed from the endangered list would still be protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The public has 90 days to comment on the recommended changes.
Humpbacks are found in waters around the world. They weigh 25 to 40 tons and can grow up to 60 feet long. Females are larger than males, according to info on NOAA’s website. The whales are primarily dark grey with some spots of white, and their pectoral fins can grow up to 15 feet long.
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