Nature Group Says Humpback Whales Recovering
The humpback whale, nearly hunted into history four decades ago, is now on the "road to recovery" and is no longer considered at high risk of extinction, an environmental group said Tuesday.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature — the producer each year of a Red List of threatened species — also upgraded the status of the southern "right" whale from vulnerable. The right whale gets its name from whalers who deemed it a particularly good species to hunt, because it floats after being killed.
"Humpbacks and southern right whales are making a comeback in much of their range mainly because they have been protected from commercial hunting," said Randall Reeves, an expert on marine mammals for the conservation organization.
"This is a great conservation success and clearly shows what needs to be done to ensure these ocean giants survive," he said in a statement.
