Alaska's humpback whales are close to losing their status as an endangered species after being protected for over 40 years, according to Reuters.

A petition was filed earlier this year asking federal fisheries managers to get rid of the "endangered" classification of the central north Pacific population of humpbacks under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The petition cites population growth and existing regulations it says protect the migratory mammals, according to Reuters.

On June 25, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in a statement that it found "substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted."

The ruling comes after the agency's response in August to a petition by the Hawaii Fishermen's Alliance for Conservation and Tradition. That petition sought to delist all north Pacific whales, according to Reuters.

The findings mean NOAA will conduct around a year's worth of reviews of the central north Pacific and entire North Pacific populations. During that time they will project population growth rates and threats, said agency spokeswoman Julie Speegle.

Speegle added that it will either decide to delist the whales, reduce their status to "threatened," or take no action at all.

Humpback whales can weight anywhere between 50,000 to 80,000 pounds and can live around 50 years.

"Simply put, they no longer need ESA protection. They should be removed and effort focused on species needing protection," Doug Vincent-Lang, an Alaska wildlife conservation official, said of the motivation behind the petition, according to Reuters.

Environmental groups are expected to oppose the petition as NOAA seeks public input until July 28.

The entire north Pacific population has been estimated at approximately 22,000 whales, having grown from 1,000 in the 1990s. The central north stock is under 6,000 whales, according to the Alaska Dispatch newspaper.

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