Sei Whale 5-Year Review
August 30, 2021
A 5-year review is a periodic analysis of a species’ status conducted to ensure that the listing classification of a species as threatened or endangered on the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants is accurate.
Under section 4(c)(2) of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), we are required to conduct a review of all listed species at least once every 5 years to assess whether the current listing status remains accurate. The sei whale was listed as endangered in 1970 (35 FR 8491) under a precursor to the ESA. In 2018, we initiated the 5-year review. The NMFS Office of Protected Resources led the 5-year review with input from NMFS regional offices and science centers. The 5-year review is based on the best available data through June 2021. We concluded that no change to the listing status of the sei whale is warranted at this time.