Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Policy Actions

1946

• International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling regulated commercial whaling of humpbacks

1966

• International Whaling Commission prohibited commercial whaling of humpbacks

1970

• Humpback whales designated as endangered under the Endangered Species Conservation Act (PDF 1,066 kB)

1972

• Protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)

1973

• Listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)
• Designated as depleted under the MMPA

1987

• Listed as endangered by the State of Alaska.

1990

• NMFS distributed draft Recovery Plan for the Humpback Whale (PDF 116 kB)

1991

• Recovery plan for humpback whales finalized (PDF 2,375 kB)

2001

• National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issues a rule prohibiting approaching within 100 yards of a humpback whale in Alaska (PDF 65 kB)

2009

• NMFS initiates 5-year status review (PDF 48 kB)
• State of Alaska responds to NMFS request for information in status review initiation (PDF 1,177 kB)

2013

• NMFS publishes a 90-day finding on a petition to delist the North Pacific population of humpback whale