*IMPORTANT NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER: DFO does not assume any responsibility for the quality of information, products or services listed in the Web sites provided above. The number of animals that use British Columbia waters is probably in the low hundreds. Reilly, S.B., J.L.

While calving, they prefer shallow, warm waters commonly near offshore reef systems or shores. Generation length and percent mature estimates for IUCN assessments of cetaceans. Douglas, A.B., J. Calambokidis, S. Raverty, S.J. Terms and template adapted from EC 2007 and modified to include threats to habitat. Clapham, J.K.B. Fisheries Bulletin U.S. 69: 791-798. Row one in the following description is the row immediately following the column headings. Baker, J.E. 1989). (ed.) In Canada, Humpback Whales are managed by DFO and legally protected through the Marine Mammal Regulations under the Fisheries Act, 1985. Categorize as; further study required, long-term planning recommended, action required or legal action required, Brief rationale regarding the threat, its rating and measures necessary for protection, Negative effect on individual survival or reproduction, population viability, or lhabitat is possible or plausible, Effect is correlated with reduced individual survival or reproduction, reduced population viability or reduced quality of habitat, Effect is causally linked with reduced individual survival or reproduction, reduced population viability, reduced quality of habitat and failure to meet recovery objectives, Given current information on the threat and population size, effect is considered unlikely (on its own) to negatively impact population viability or habitat, Stress relates to a specific site or narrow portion of the range, Stress relates to the entire distribution of the species, or all of, Available information is insufficient to gauge the degree to which the activity may affect species, Activity is anticipated to effect Humpback Whales or habitat in 10 years, Activity is anticipated to affect Humpback Whales or habitat in 5 years, Activity is currently practised and affects Humpback Whales or habitat, Activity is expected to occur rarely or mitigations in place result in an effect rarely occurring even though activity is occurring, Stress is expected to be acute, affecting only once, Stress occurs infrequently and unpredictably, not on an annual or seasonal basis, Stress occurs somewhat regularly, possibly unpredictably, not on an annual or seasonal basis, Stress occurs only at certain times of the year, or species is migratory, Available information is insufficient to gauge the frequency with which the stress may affect the species, Effects of the stress are sub-lethal, potentially leading to short-term behavioural changes or transient degradation to habitat, unlikely to affect population viability, Effects of the stress result in chronic physiological and/or behavioural changes (, Effects of the stress are lethal,  affects population viability, Available information is insufficient to gauge the degree to which the stress may affect individuals,  population or habitat. It is anticipated that the risk of occurrence will increase with increased marine traffic and specifically, increased transportation of petroleum in, Over-exploitation of prey or disruption of prey habitat resulting in low abundance and/or availability of forage species, whether due to natural causes or human activities, Reduced ability to meet energetic demands, Mortality, stress, reduced growth rate and fat storage, reduced survivorship, reduced reproductive success and/or delayed maturation, disease, changes in normal seasonal distribution patterns and/or diet, Mortality, stress, reduced growth rate and fat storage, reduced survivorship, reduced reproductive success and/or delayed maturation, disease: Plausible, Unknown – Risk of effects likely to increase as the population grows.

While she thinks the possibility of an offshore breeding area is unlikely, “it makes you think whales might be moving between Mexico and Hawai‘i during the winter.”, The audio varies slightly depending on when and how it was recorded. Thanks also goes to all of the authorities contacted for information during the writing of this report, including the Canadian Wildlife Service, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Parks Canada, the Federal Biodiversity Information Partnership (chaired by the Canadian Museum of Nature), the Ministry of Environment, the BC Conservation Data Centre, Nisga’a Wildlife Committee and Joint Fisheries Management Committee, Uu-a-thluk (Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council Fisheries – Katie Beach), the COSEWIC Secretariat, and the North Pacific Humpback Whale Recovery Team. waters. NRC (National Research Council). In B.C., when individual Humpback Whales are re-sighted in multiple years, the majority of these sightings occur within 100km of previous sightings (Ford et al. Canadian Journal of  Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 42: 976-981.

The four identified critical habitat areas have particularly high and persistent seasonal abundance of whales. of Commerce. Measures currently exist to mitigate several threats; however, the efficacy of some techniques has not been determined to date. However, in many cases the knowledge of a species and its critical habitat may be lacking.

DeMaster et al. 1998) so there is potential for genetic mixing (Baker et al. Volgenau, L., S.D.Kraus, and J. Lien. Movement of a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) from Japan to British Columbia and return.