Humpback whales mate during winter migration to warmer waters. Eleven to 12 months later the female gives birth to a single calf, weighing about two tons and measuring up to 13 feet long. Humpback whales were considered too difficult to hunt during the early whaling days because of their speed and tremendous size. However, with the introduction of factory ships and the harpoon gun in the 1920's, the humpback whales were hunted intensively. By the 1960's they were nearly extinct.
Whales suffer from illegal whaling, entanglement in fishing nets and death from pollution.
Appendix I listed species cannot be traded commercially. Appendix II listed species can be traded commercially only if trade does not harm their survival.