In 2016, NOAA Fisheries divided humpback whales into 14 distinct population segments under the Endangered Species Act.
Notes on verification
Confirmed by the Federal Register final rule, NOAA's official press release, and Alaska Department of Fish and Game summary, all consistent on year, agency, and number of segments. [tier=bronze indep_score=0.539 clusters=2 claim_tier=notable]
Sources
- Recovery of Endangered and Threatened Species | NOAA Fisheries (seed:environment_and_wildlife)
- https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2016/09/08/2016-21276/endangered-and-threatened-species-identification-of-14-distinct-population-segments-of-the-humpback (corroboration)
- https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=specialstatus.fedsummary&species=humpbackwhale (corroboration)