MARINE MAMMAL COMMISSION — Annual Report for 1992 
fall months when feeding occurs. Principal prey 
species include small schooling fish, such as sand 
lance, capelin, mackerel, and anchovy, as well as 
krill. Some 13 stocks of humpback whales have been 
identified worldwide, three of which are found season- 
ally in U.S. waters. These are the western North 
Atlantic, eastern North Pacific, and central North 
Pacific stocks. 
All stocks of humpback whales were severely 
reduced by commercial whaling. Because of this 
decline, the International Whaling Commission banned 
exploitation of the species in 1966. Humpback whales 
were listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered 
Species Preservation Act in 1970, a designation 
carried forward under the Endangered Species Act of 
1973. Humpback whales also are listed on Appendix 
I of the Convention on International Trade in Endan- 
gered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. By virtue of 
this listing, international trade in any humpback whale 
product for commercial purposes is banned. 
Under this protection, many stocks have begun to 
recover. However, recovery rates may be slowed and 
the extent of recovery limited by noise disturbance, 
collisions with vessels, entanglement in fishing gear, 
whale-watching activities, oil spills, offshore oil and 
gas development, offshore sand and gravel mining, 
dredge spoil disposal, discharge from sewage outfalls, 
coastal development, and depletion of prey resources. 
The Humpback Whale Recovery Plan 
In 1984 and again in 1986, the Marine Mammal 
Commission recommended that the National Marine 
Fisheries Service prepare recovery plans for hump- 
back whales and certain other endangered whales 
found in U.S. waters. In response, the Service 
constituted a Humpback Whale Recovery Team to 
assist in plan preparation. A draft plan was completed 
and circulated for review in October 1989. 
The Commission, in consultation with its Com- 
mittee of Scientific Advisors, commented on the plan 
by letter of 30 November 1989. Among other points, 
the Commission noted that the plan did not identify 
research and management tasks or the regional differ- 
ences between the various stocks found in U.S. waters 
in sufficient detail to compare task priorities. It there- 
58 
fore recommended that the Service develop detailed 
implementation plans for each stock to provide a 
better basis for allocating funds and staff and for 
enlisting the support of other involved agencies and 
organizations. 
The Service adopted a final Recovery Plan in 
November 1991 but has not yet advised the Com- 
mission as to steps that have been or will be taken to 
develop regional implementation plans. The Service’s 
Humpback Whale Recovery Team has not met since 
the plan was adopted by the Service. 
Central North Pacific Humpback Whales 
Waters around the Hawaiian Islands provide the 
principal calving, nursing, and wintering grounds for 
the central North Pacific stock of humpback whales. 
Whales are found in Hawaii as early as November and 
as late as June; however, the period of peak abun- 
dance is from December to March. Based on photo- 
identification comparisons of tail flukes, it appears 
that most animals that winter in Hawaii are found in 
summer in coastal feeding grounds off Alaska and 
Canada, particularly between the eastern Aleutian 
Islands and British Columbia. 
Although most animals appear to return annually to 
Hawaii, a few animals winter in Hawaii waters some 
years and in Mexican waters in others. The waters 
off Mexico’s west coast, including the Revillagigedo 
Islands, are the major wintering grounds for the 
eastern North Pacific stock whose principal summer 
feeding grounds are along the coast of North America 
between Canada and California. 
As described in previous annual reports, the 
Marine Mammal Commission has supported a number 
of studies to improve understanding of the number 
and habitat-use patterns of humpback whales in 
Hawaii (see, for example, Appendix B, Herman 1980, 
Glockner-Ferrari and Ferrari 1985, and Forestell 
1989). It also has supported studies to examine 
possible management actions (see, for example, 
Appendix B, Norris and Reeves 1978 and Tinney 
1988). 
Research Coordination and Permitting — In 
1990 the Marine Mammal Commission contracted for 
