Final Recovery Plan and Recovery Implementation Strategy for the Main Hawaiian Islands Insular False Killer Whale Distinct Population Segment
November 03, 2021
Final Recovery Plan and Recovery Implementation Strategy for the Main Hawaiian Islands Insular False Killer Whale Distinct Population Segment includes the recovery goals, objectives, criteria, time, costs, and actions needed to recover the species.
The final Recovery Plan specifically addresses the planning requirements of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for the main Hawaiian Islands insular false killer whale distinct population segment. It also presents an updated threats analysis and a recovery strategy based on the biological and ecological needs of the species, current threats, and existing conservation measures, all of which affect its long-term viability. The document focuses on the statutory requirements of the ESA: (1) a description of site-specific management actions necessary to conserve the species; (2) objective, measurable criteria that, when met, will allow the species to be removed from the endangered and threatened species list; and (3) estimates of the time and funding required to achieve the plan’s goals.
The Recovery Implementation Strategy is a flexible, operational document that is intended to assist NOAA Fisheries and other stakeholders in planning and implementing activities to carry out the recovery actions in the Recovery Plan. The stepped-down recovery activities identified in the Recovery Implementation Strategy can be adapted or modified as the science evolves and—as long as the activities don’t meaningfully deviate from the recovery actions, objectives, and criteria—not need to go out for public comment with each change, therefore maximizing flexibility in recovery implementation. This affords us the ability to modify these activities in real time to reflect changes in the information available as well as progress towards recovery.