Could humpback whales be removed from the endangered species list?

Whales have long been the poster child for environmentalism and the call to “Save the Whales” has been heard far and wide for decades, but the population of northern Pacific humpback whale has rebounded and Hawaiian fishermen want them off the endangered species list.

Commercial whale fishing has been outlawed since the humpback whale became an endangered species in the 1960s. At the time, there were only 1,400 of the majestic giants, but recent count put them around 21,000. Many fishermen feel that more than enough to take them off the endangered species list and since environmental groups want to add so many more species to the list.

Half of the population of humpback whales winter in the warm waters of Hawaii. They are known for their whale song and elaborate leaps out of the water. People come from all over the world to watch them and they were even featured in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. They are a major tourist attraction for the region.

You might think that the fishermen want them off the list so they can begin hunting them again, but that’s not true. The fishermen have no interest in hunting the whales and instead want to combat the sheer number of species being put on the list. Environmental groups have petitioned to have more than a dozen new coral and fish species put on the list. Given the sheer number of animals on the list now and the potential amount in the future, it only seemed fair to remove the now thriving whale population.

The fishermen fear the environmentalists are using the list as a tool to manage the oceans, which will inevitably impact their ability to fish. They want to make sure people take into consideration growing species and that they be taken off the list. What do you think? Keep them on the list or drop them?

Photo courtesy of NOAA Fisheries