Humpbacks were hunted for centuries – almost to the point of extinction – before a 1966 moratorium stopped whalers from harvesting them. These massive migratory whales made it onto the U.S. endangered species list in 1988; north pacific humpbacks were possibly worst off, with a population estimate of 1,500 whales living in the region before the ban on whaling was enacted. You might know that these leviathans made it onto the “vulnerable” list in 1996, and today, with the current population estimated at between 18,000 and 20,000 individuals, it’s possible that Humpback whales will be able to give up their place on that list.
A Weighty Decision for Policymakers
Policymakers have a tough decision ahead in determining whether to stop protecting humpbacks under the law. On one hand, the comeback is a glorious victory for the whales, and a testament to the powerful effect protection under the Endangered Species list can have. Efforts by conservationists worldwide helped to allow the species to rebound – quite a feat since the whales reach sexual maturity between age 5 and 7, and since gestation lasts for almost a year. Calves depend on their mothers for milk for about 6 months, and continue to swim alongside them for another 6 months. Females typically mate only every 2 to 3 years, so rebuilding the population after it was nearly decimated was really quite an accomplishment.
The Hawaii Fisherman’s Alliance is among the few groups asking for the north pacific humpback population to be delisted. The reason isn’t to allow hunting or whaling to resume, and it’s not to make it easier for them to fish, since the whales do not interfere with fishing operations. Instead, the group is concerned that there are too many protected species being added to the list, including dozens of types of coral, seven damselfish species, and false killer whales, which are black and white dolphins. They say that removing the north pacific humpback population from the U.S. list of endangered species would simply bring more balance. Coalition president Philip Fernandez says “you cannot add species after species after species without evaluating whether there are species that should come off.”
Including the north pacific group, there are about 80,000 humpback whales inhabiting the planet today. While hunting is no longer a threat and isn’t likely to resume, the whales are still threatened by numerous factors including entanglement with fishing gear such as ghost nets, propeller strikes and collisions with large ships, and the inability to communicate or migrate properly due to ocean noise pollution. As krill, which are a staple food for these whales and many other animals, are being harvested for use in human dietary supplements, there’s a question as to whether there will be enough food for these whales to eat.
The last time a major recovery led to a species’ removal from the U.S. list was when NOAA was able to delist the Eastern North Pacific gray whale population in 1994. Studies are underway to determine whether the North Pacific Humpbacks will join the grays.