NOAA Fisheries to Review Critical Habitat for Rare Large Whale Species in Alaska

NOAA Fisheries sent this bulletin at 07/11/2022 01:42 PM EDT

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JULY 11. 2022

NOAA Fisheries to Review Critical Habitat for Rare Large Whale Species in Alaska

A North Pacific right whale surfaces in the waters off Alaska. Credit: NOAA Fisheries

Agency announces a positive 90-day finding on a petition to expand North Pacific right whale critical habitat; seeks public comment.

NOAA Fisheries is initiating a review of designated critical habitat for endangered North Pacific right whales, of which there are only an estimated 30 animals remaining. The review is in response to a petition we received on March 10, 2022 from the Center for Biological Diversity and Save the North Pacific Right Whale. The petition requested a revision to the critical habitat designation for the species.

Currently, NOAA Fisheries has designated approximately 1,175 square miles in the Gulf of Alaska and approximately 35,460 square miles in the Southeast Bering Sea as critical habitat for North Pacific right whales.