The humpback whale has been removed from the endangered species list as of Tuesday of this week. It has been on the list since 1970. Some people are concerned that this will make these creatures open game once again for poaching, but federal authorities beg to differ…
Federal authorities took most humpback whales off the endangered species list Tuesday, saying their numbers have recovered through international efforts to protect the giant mammals.
Humpback whale numbers have steadily grown since a global ban on commercial whaling started nearly 50 years ago. The whaling moratorium remains in effect, despite the new classification.
“Today’s news is a true ecological success story,” Eileen Sobeck, assistant administrator for fisheries at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said in a statement.
The whales will continue to be protected under other federal laws, including the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Vessels will continue to have to stay a specific distance away from humpback whales in Hawaii and Alaska waters.
A Hawaii fishermen’s group that petitioned for delisting three years ago said it was happy with the decision.
“We just saw a lot of whales. So we thought this is a success in ocean management and we wanted to point that out to the world — that things are good with whales in Hawaii,” said Phil Fernandez, president of the Hawaii Fishermen’s Alliance for Conservation and Tradition.
Let’s hope that this is a good move. I think the feds should re-evaluate some of the others on the list, especially ones that destroy expansion of U.S. business.
H/T: The Blaze