North Pacific Right Whale
(Eubalaena japonica)
Policy Actions
1970
- Northern right whale listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Conservation Act (PDF 660 kB)
1973
- Northern right whale listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)
- Northern right whale designated as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)
2004
2005
- Judge rules in favor of the CBD and orders NMFS to designate critical habitat for the northern right whale in the Pacific Ocean (PDF 253 kB)
- CBD petitions NMFS to list the North Pacific right whale (formerly the "northern right whale") under the ESA (PDF 207 kB)
- NMFS proposes revised critical habitat for the northern right whale that includes areas in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea (PDF 364 kB)
2006
- State of Alaska comments on proposed revision of critical habitat (PDF 279 kB)
- 90-day finding on petition to list North Pacific right whale (formerly the "northern right whale") as endangered species under the ESA states that listing may be warranted and initiates a status review (PDF 54 kB)
- Final rule to revise critical habitat for the northern right whale (PDF 495 kB)
- NMFS proposes listing the North Pacific right whale (formerly the "northern right whale") as endangered under the ESA (PDF 197 kB)
2007
- NMFS proposes critical habitat for the North Pacific right whale (formerly the "northern right whale" in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea Aleutian Island area (PDF 3,026 kB)
- State of Alaska comments on proposed critical habitat designation (PDF 217 kB)
2008
- Final rule to list the endangered "northern right whale" as two separate endangered species under the ESA, the North Pacific right whale and the North Atlantic right whale (PDF 80 kB)
- Final rule designates critical habitat for the North Pacific right whale (PDF 306 kB)
2012
- NMFS issues a 5-year review of the North Pacific right whale (PDF file)
- 2012 NMFS notice of intent to prepare a recovery plan for the North Pacific right whale (PDF file)