ACTON TIMELINE

2013 – WildEarth Guardians filed a petition with the National Marine Fisheries Service to list the Taiwanese humpback dolphin as a distinct population segment under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

2014 – The Fisheries Service denied the Endangered Species Act petition, refusing to recognize the Taiwanese humpback dolphin as a distinct population segment of the Chinese white dolphin.

March 9, 2016 – After research showed the Tawainese humpback dolphin to in fact be a subspecies of the Chinese white dolphin, the Center, the Animal Welfare Institute and WildEarth Guardians petitioned the Fisheries Service to again consider protecting the dolphin under the Act.

May 11, 2016 – The Fisheries Service found that listing this dolphin under the Endangered Species Act may be warranted and announced the launch of a full review of the species' status.

May 8, 2018 – In response to the Center's petition, the Fisheries Service protected the Taiwanese humpback dolphin as “endangered” under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Taiwanese humpback dolphin courtesy Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society