Evaluation of Hawai‘i distinct population segment of humpback whales as units under the Marine Mammal Protection Act

The Guidelines for Preparing Stock Assessment Reports Pursuant to the 1994 Amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) specify that a stock under the MMPA should identify a demographically independent population (DIP). Considerable new data suggest fresh examination of population structure and the potential delineation of Demographically Independent Populations (DIPs) within the subspecies North Pacific humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae kuzira). The delineation of DIPs is an essential part of the designation of marine mammal stocks under the MMPA. Pursuant to the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) conducted a worldwide status review of humpback whales (Bettridge et al. 2015), which identified 14 distinct population segments (DPSs) under the ESA (81 FR 62260, 8 September 2016). 2021 Humpback Hawaii Stock assessment MMPA Megaptera novaeangliae NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) AFSC (Alaska Fisheries Science Center) PIFSC (Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center) Submitted https://doi.org/10.25923/4yhy-3j51 Public Domain 1995