Humpback whales may no longer be endangered, protections could be lifted

While the question as to whether humpback whales are still endangered cannot be answered definitively, the government has proposed that protections be lifted as they appear to have rebounded.

The Associated Press reported on Monday, that oceanic wildlife officials proposed removing the mammals from the endangered species list stating that a rebound over the past four decades is a victory.

"To be able to bring a species to a point where their population is doing well and they no longer meet those requirements to be on the endangered species act, I think that is a really important success for us as a nation," said Donna Weiting, the director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of Protected Resources.

Agency officials also said they hope to reclassify the humpbacks to 14 population segments and that 10 be removed. Four may still be vulnerable and therefore will remain protected by the ESA. All species of whales would still be protected under the Marine Mammals Protection Act.

Humpback whales can be found in oceans all over the globe. The large mammals migrate about 16,000 miles from polar to tropical to subtropical waters each year.

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