Chapter 11 — . Species of Special Concern 



animals (with a coefficient of variation of 0.26 to 

 0.32); the other estimated a population of 350 ani- 

 mals. In the eastern North Atlantic, only five right 

 whale sightings have been reported in the past 30 

 years. If the animals sighted are remnants of the 

 former eastern stock, the stock would appear to be 

 nearing extinction. If they are stragglers from the 

 western stock, the eastern stock may already be 

 extinct. 



Regarding right whales in the Southern Hemi- 

 sphere, the review reported that separate southern 

 right whale stocks off South Africa, western Australia, 

 and Argentina have been estimated to have increased 

 over the past two decades at annual rates of 6.8 

 percent, 11.7 to 13 percent, and 7.6 percent, respec- 

 tively. 



On 31 July 1991, the Commission provided com- 

 ments on the status review. Among other points, the 

 Commission noted that the regulations listing right 

 whales as endangered did not recognize northern right 

 whales and southern right whales as separate species. 

 It therefore recommended that a technical amendment 

 be made to correct the listing. The Service agreed 

 and, by letter of 14 November 1991, it advised the 

 Commission that, in cooperation with the Fish and 

 Wildlife Service, it was proceeding to amend the 

 regulations to list both species as endangered. 



Humpback Whale 

 (Megaptera novaeangUae) 



Humpback whales occur in all the world's oceans. 

 They range seasonally from the tropics to the polar ice 

 caps and may be found in both coastal and open ocean 

 areas. All populations were so severely reduced by 

 commercial whaling that the International Whaling 

 Commission (IWC) banned exploitation of the species 

 in 1966. In 1970, humpback whales were designated 

 as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species 

 Preservation Act, a designation that was carried 

 forward under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. 

 The only direct take of humpback whales presently 

 authorized is a few animals taken for subsistence 

 purposes by residents of St. Vincent and the Grena- 

 dines. Present quotas adopted by the IWC allow the 



take of up to three animals annually by residents of 

 those islands (see Chapter IV). 



At least three of thirteen recognized humpback 

 whale stocks are found seasonally in U.S. waters. 

 These are the western North Atlantic, the eastern 

 North Pacific, and the central North Pacific stocks. 

 The primary threats to the species differ among the 

 regions, but they generally are related to noise, 

 disturbance, and collisions associated with vessel 

 traffic, offshore oil and gas development, whale- 

 watching activities, water sports, coastal development, 

 and commercial fishing. Other effects associated with 

 commercial fishing may include entanglement in 

 fishing gear and depletion of prey resources. 



Preparation of a Humpback Whale 

 Recovery Plan 



In 1984 and again in 1986, the Marine Mammal 

 Commission reconmiended that the National Marine 

 Fisheries Service prepare recovery plans for hump- 

 back whales, right whales, and other endangered 

 whales that occur in U.S. waters. In response to 

 these recommendations, the Service constituted a 

 Humpback Whale Recovery Team in July 1987 to 

 assist in preparing a recovery plan. In 1989, work on 

 the draft plan was completed and, on 16 October 

 1989, the Service circulated the draft for agency and 

 public review. 



The Commission, in consultation with its Commit- 

 tee of Scientific Advisors, reviewed the draft plan and 

 provided comments to the Service on 30 November 

 1989. The Commission noted that the document did 

 not identify needed research and management tasks in 

 sufficient detail to effectively guide development of 

 recovery activities and that problems were sufficiently 

 different among the regions in which the populations 

 occur to merit independent recovery programs for 

 each region. Therefore, it recommended that the plan 

 outline and narrative be restructured and expanded to 

 provide a clearer indication of the specific research 

 and management actions necessary to rebuild each of 

 the separate stocks in U.S. waters and that detailed 

 implementation plans be developed for each stock. 



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