Hawaii humpback whale sanctuary won’t be expanded
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A humpback whale jumps out of the waters off Hawaii in this NOAA Fisheries photo.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it’s abandoning the idea of expanding a national marine sanctuary around Hawaii.
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Acting Director John Armor said in a statement today that the agency is withdrawing its proposal after listening to input from the community and the state of Hawaii.
The agency had proposed expanding the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary to cover the ecosystem instead of a single species. The proposal would have also extended the geographic boundary of the sanctuary.
Armor’s statement said the sanctuary will continue its work to protect humpback whales, support researchers and educate the public.
The agency plans to publish a notice in the Federal Register formally withdrawing its proposal.
6 responses to “Hawaii humpback whale sanctuary won’t be expanded”
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Hawaii is more of a sanctuary for the homeless, instead of the wild life.
Finally, intelligence has prevailed.
Where are all the whales this year?
While I am not an marine biologist I play one on the SA comments section. The whales have likely altered their route due the the warmer than normal water temps we are experiencing from El Nino.
Power play ended.
Finally they came to their senses! Mahalo to DLNR for doing the right thing.