I would like to reply to my colleague Gianni Pavan concerning his query (below). I am doing it through MARMAM (although I have also written to him, wondering why did he not ask me directly), because I hope with this to dispel potential misunderstandings that his question might create within the wider community.
First, the Red List assessment of the Mediterranean sperm whale sub-population is online
for everyone to read and ponder about. The assessment was authored by A. Frantzis, G. Bearzi, R. Reeves, and me as the first author, with contributions from Ana Tejedor, C. Agusti, S. Airoldi, S. Panigada, R. de Stephanis, and D. Engelhaupt.
In particular concerning the estimated size of such sub-population, nowhere in the assessment it is stated that it is of 2,500 animals. Rather, the argument was that, on the basis of a number of elements mentioned and quoted in the assessment (e.g., in Section "Population size"), we suggested that the sub-population contained fewer than 2,500 mature individuals, the limit under which a sub-population can be included in the Red List as Endangered under the A criterion.
Regards,
Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara