Panama’s humpback whale population remains endangered

While the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced that most humpback whale populations have recovered through international efforts to protect them, the population of humpback whales that breed off the coast of Panama remains endangered.

According to data released by NOAA, of the 14 distinct population segments (DPS) of humpback whales around the world, nine populations have recovered to the point where they no longer need Endangered Species Act Protections. 

Humpback whale populations that are still endangered include the Arabian Sea DPS, Cape Verde Island/Northwest Africa DPS, the Western North Pacific DPS and the Central America DPS.

Despite some whale populations being removed from the endangered species list, all humpback whale populations will continue to be protected by federal laws, including the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Marta Nammack, the fisheries service's Endangered Species Act listing coordinator, recently estimated the population of whales that breed in Central America and feed off California and the Pacific Northwest to be as small as 400 whales. These whales also face threats from vessel collisions and getting entangled in fishing gear, she said.

Another population of whales that is proving to be smaller than scientist previously thought, is the humpback DPS that breeds off the coast of Mexico and feeds off the coast of California. The Pacific Northwest and Alaska populations continue to be listed as threatened with 3,200 whales, about half of what scientists previously thought, explains Nammack. These whales also face fishing gear entanglement threats.

Read more about humpback whales and the decision to create distinct population segments in the article: Are Humpback Whales Off the Endangered Species List? Not Quite!