Coastal areas surrounding the Hawaiian Islands have now been designated as a protected, critical habitat for the small, unique population of false killer whales living in those waters.
The National Marine Fisheries Service published its long-awaited rule recently on the designation of a critical habitat for the whales, which is crucial for the “recovery” of a species once considered on the brink of extinction.
The rule which comes into effect on August 23 this year, acknowledges that the species relies “entirely on the productive submerged habitat” in waters near the Hawaiian Islands to support all of its “life-history stages.” The whales are a critical part of Hawaii’s local ecosystem and it would be a major loss for the islands if they were to disappear.
The critical habitat area designated by the agency was largely based on data from satellite tags. The false killer whale population currently stands at approximately 160 individuals whose main diet is yellowfin tuna, mahi-mahi and swordfish – all of which are popular with diners in U.S restaurant menus. One of the biggest threats to the whales is net entanglement by fishery operations – sadly the new ruling won’t provide protection from those activities.
