Humpback whales to stay on Massachusetts endangered species list
BOSTON - The humpback whale will remain on the Massachusetts endangered species list, after Gov. Maura Healey withdrew her proposal to remove the mammal, The Boston Globe reports.
The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries proposed removing the humpbacks from the list in February.
"The humpback whale population utilizing Massachusetts waters are not in danger of extinction or likely to become so in the foreseeable future," said agency director Daniel McKiernan, according to the newspaper.
Healey has not explained why the whale species is staying on the list.
Research from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows that humpback whales die from dehydration due to being beached in Massachusetts more than any other East Coast state, besides New York.
Most humpback whales were taken off the federal endangered species list back in 2016.