Back in 1966, after decades of whaling (including the Whaling Olympics of the 1930s), humpback numbers in the northern Pacific ocean were at most 1,400 individuals. An article in Nature this week shows that there are now 20,000 humpbacks in that region, the most recorded since 1966. This is great news. However, to know just how happy we should be, we need to know the pre-whaling Pacific humpback population. For comparison, a study in Science in 2003 showed that there were 240,000 humpbacks in the North Atlantic prior to whaling. It's all about the baseline.
- Log in to post comments
More like this
The grey whale is always held up as an icon of success of the Endangered Species Act. While it's true that gray whale numbers have rebounded from near extinction to 22,000 whales today, a new study released today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that the grey whale…
According to BBC news, a Japanese fleet has instructions to kill 1,000 whales, including 50 humpbacks, which have been spared from hunting since the 1960s. A 2003 study in Science estimated there used to 240,000 humpbacks in the North Atlantic pre-whaling. Now there are 10,000. Can anyone help…
AP stock photo.
Rex Dalton reports in the latest issue of Nature:
"Humpback whale numbers in the northern Pacific Ocean have ballooned to nearly 20,000, the largest population seen since the majestic mammals were hunted nearly to extinction half a century ago.
The number of humpbacks hit an all-…
A Japanese fleet has instructions to kill 50 humpbacks - and 1,000 whales total - under the shroud of 'scientific whaling'.
Why should we care? Well it's estimated that there are about 10,000 humpbacks coursing about the planet now... low numbers considering we had 240,000 in the North…
Yes, the comparatively low number now vs the baseline is due to historical whaling, but also, now it's about lack of forage. If there were the same amount of forage available now as in 1492, we'd see 240K humpbacks again, but I'm sure that the population will be self limiting due to this factor, if it isn't already.
Erik, Orion Grassroots Network
I think people differ greatly on this issue. For example, if it were completely unidentifiable as my own, I would have no problem with a picture of my naked ass being posted on the Internet. Others would be absolutely horrified by the prospect.