US studies humpback whale endangered list removal

PHYS.org ^ | Aug 31, 2013 | Audrey Mcavoy

[deks]

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has launched a review of whether it should take North Pacific humpback whales off the endangered species list.

NOAA Fisheries is responding to a petition filed by a group of Hawaii fishermen saying the whale should no longer be classified as endangered because its population has steadily grown since the international community banned commercial whaling nearly 50 years ago.

There are more than 21,000 humpback whales in the North Pacific, compared with about 1,400 in the mid-1960s.

[deks]

NOAA last removed a species from the endangered list in 2008, when it determined the Caribbean monk seal had gone extinct. The last time a species' recovery prompted delisting was in 1994, when the agency removed the eastern North Pacific population of gray whales from the list.

Read more at: PHYS.og article

[Crazieman]

But... how will we make Star Trek IV a reality?

[Jeff Chandler]

Guess what day it is . . .

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

As the late Marty Feldman said in “Young Frankenstein”, “Hump, what hump?”

[who_would_fardels_bear]

But old time whalers claim that there were so many whales they could walk across their backs to cross entire oceans.

We need to wait until the whales fill the seas like stepping stones before we lift the ban.

[Rodamala]

But... how will we make Star Trek IV a reality?

Ask your computer...

...and then get making some transparent aluminum, stat!

[Kozak]

Hot damn! Whale, it’s what’s for dinner...

[MaxMax]

I can’t wait to convert my truck to Whale oil, after I use it to deep fry me some Spotted Owl.

[Flick Lives]

Now that’s a burger!