A 5-year Plan for Research and Monitoring of the Eastern North Pacific Population of Gray Whales

The purpose of monitoring populations following delisting is to evaluate the validity of the status determination used in the delisting process and to determine whether the status of the population has deteriorated within a 5-year period subsequent to delisting. If information collected during the initial 5-year monitoring period indicates that the status determination that lead to delisting was in error, or that its status has deteriorated sufficiently to be considered threatened or endangered, the ESA requires the agency with management authority to promote the recovery of this population with increased protection and add {i.e., return or reclassify) the population to the list of endangered and threatened wildlife.