From gopher@esdim.noaa.gov Wed Jun 18 23:08:37 1997 Received: from iisc.ernet.in by ces.iisc.ernet.in (ERNET-IISc/SMI-4.1) id XAA26885; Wed, 18 Jun 1997 23:08:37 +0500 Received: from esdim.noaa.gov by iisc.ernet.in (ERNET-IISc/SMI-4.1) id XAA28904; Wed, 18 Jun 1997 23:07:34 +0530 Received: by esdim.noaa.gov (4.1/SMI-4.1) id AA28756; Wed, 18 Jun 97 11:44:11 EDT Date: Wed, 18 Jun 97 11:44:11 EDT From: gopher@esdim.noaa.gov (ESDIM Gopher) Message-Id: <9706181544.AA28756@esdim.noaa.gov > Subject: Endangered Whales Apparently-To: cestvr@ces.iisc.ernet.in Status: R ON THE STATUS OF ENDANGERED WHALES More than 2 1/2 million large whales were killed by commercial whalers between 1600 and 1975. Surprisingly, no species and only one population became extinct (the Atlantic gray whale). Many stocks of "great" whales - blue, bowhead, fin, gray, humpback, right, sei, and sperm whale - however, are well below their presumed "initial" abundance when commercial whaling began. For example, 75% of the world's stocks are severely depleted (and are rare); and about one-quarter of the major ocean basin populations are less than 5% of their initial abundance. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 defines a species or population as "endangered" if it is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range; and "threatened" if it is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future. However, no quantitative criteria were developed to distinguish "endangered" from "threatened" and insufficient information was available to determine whether or not some species were in danger of extinction. Nonetheless, all eight species were listed as endangered. For some species, we have years of information on whaling and some population counts from which to judge status. For a few species' populations, such as the gray whale and bowhead whale, there is a wealth of information. Based on several lines of evidence, then, the following conclusions are reached: 1. The California stock of gray whales in the eastern North Pacific Ocean is not in danger of becoming extinct and is not threatened with becoming endangered in the foreseeable future. The current population size is at least equal to or greater than the estimated initial stock size in 1846, and has been increasing at a rate of about 3% per year for at least the past 30 years. Protection under the ESA is not warranted. 2. The sperm whale is not in danger of becoming extinct nor is it threatened with becoming endangered in the foreseeable future. The worldwide abundance of the species is about 2,000,000. In spite of uncertainties concerning individual stock structure and models used to estimate abundance, there are no known sources of mortality to prevent recovery. Protection under the ESA is probably not warranted. 3. The Western Arctic stock of bowhead whales in the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas is not in danger of becoming extinct in the foreseeable future. The stock size is estimated to be about 7,500 (some 40-50% of initial abundance) and is apparently increasing in spite of an annual harvest by Alaskan Eskimos. Because there is uncertainty about the potential effects of long-term habitat changes in the Arctic, and because this stock represents over 90% of the remaining world population of bowhead whales, the stock warrants listing as threatened. All other stocks of large whales in U.S. waters should remained listed as endangered at this time. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE WRITE TO DR. HOWARD W. BRAHAM, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL MARINE MAMMAL LABORATORY, AFSC, NMFS, NOAA, 7600 SAND POINT WAY, NE, SEATTLE, WA 98115