Marine Mammal Protection Act

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Marine Mammal Protection Act

• Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA),
  the Secretary of Commerce is responsible for
  ensuring the protection of cetaceans (whales,
  porpoises, and dolphins) and pinnipeds (seals and
  sea lions walruses excepted).

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• The MMPA established a moratorium, with certain
  exceptions, on the taking of marine mammals in
  U.S. waters and by U.S. citizens on the high
  seas, and on the importing of marine mammals and
  marine mammal products into the United States.

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• The term "take" is statutorily defined to mean
  "to harass, hunt, capture, or kill, or attempt to
  harass, hunt, capture or kill any marine
  mammal." 

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• Under the 1994 amendments, the Congress
  statutorily defined and divided the term
  "harassment" to mean any act of pursuit, torment,
  or annoyance which --
• Level A Harassment- has the potential to injure a
  marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild
  or
• Level B Harassment- has the potential to disturb
  a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the
  wild by causing disruption or behavioral
  patterns, including, but not limited to,
  migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding,
  or sheltering

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• The 1994 Amendments to the Marine Mammal
  Protection Act (MMPA), made a number of changes
  in the regulations governing the incidental
  taking of marine mammals in the course of
  commercial fishing operations, such as
• seven-year goal for reducing incidental serious
  injury and mortality of marine mammals to
  insignificant levels approaching a zero mortality
  and serious injury rate

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• The 1994 Amendments to the Marine Mammal
  Protection Act (MMPA), made a number of changes
  in the regulations governing the incidental
  taking of marine mammals in the course of
  commercial fishing operations, such as
• seven-year goal for reducing incidental serious
  injury and mortality of marine mammals to
  insignificant levels approaching a zero mortality
  and serious injury rate

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Background

• In the late 1950s, fishermen discovered that
  yellowfin tuna in the eastern tropical Pacific
  Ocean (ETP) aggregated beneath schools of dolphin
  stocks. Since that discovery, the predominant
  tuna fishing method in the ETP has been to
  encircle schools of dolphins with a fishing net
  to capture the tuna concentrated below. Hundreds
  of thousands of dolphins died in the early years
  of this fishery. However, since 1998, there have
  been approximately 2000 dolphins killed in this
  fishery each year - down from 133,000 in 1986.
  This is almost a 99 reduction in dolphin
  mortality due to international cooperation and
  the efforts of fishermen employing dolphin saving
  fishing techniques

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• Although dolphin mortality has declined
  dramatically in recent years, there are three
  dolphin stocks currently listed as depleted
  northeastern offshore spotted dolphin, coastal
  spotted dolphin, and eastern spinner dolphins. 

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Bottlenose Dolphins

• Major Impacts on Western North Atlantic Coastal
  Bottlenose Dolphins
• Parasites and diseases -- During 1987-88 a
  massive die-off affected the western North
  Atlantic coastal bottlenose dolphin population.
  It is estimated that over half the population
  died during the 11-month epidemic. Possible
  causes include brevetoxin produced by red tide
  organisms, environmental contaminants, or natural
  diseases.
• Human effects
• Fisheries Activities -- Bottlenose dolphins are
  taken in coastal gillnet fisheries throughout the
  mid-Atlantic region. The magnitude of this take
  is not yet quantified.
• Habitat encroachment and pollution -- The impacts
  of habitat alteration and pollution on the
  coastal bottlenose dolphin population have not
  been studied systematically.

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• The authority to list species as threatened or 
  endangered is shared by the National Marine
  Fisheries Service (NMFS), which is responsible
  for listing most marine species, and the Fish and
  Wildlife Service (FWS), which administers the
  listing of all other plants and animals. There
  are two classifications under which a species may
  be listed.

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• Species determined to be in imminent danger of
  extinction throughout all of a significant
  portion of their range are listed as
  "endangered." 
• Species determined likely to become endangered in
  the foreseeable future are listed as
  "threatened." 

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• Domestic Endangered SpeciesAtlantic salmon
• Green sea turtle Leatherback sea turtle
• Sperm whale Blue whale
• Hawaiian monk seal Northern right whale
• SteelheadBowhead whale Hawksbill sea turtle
• Olive ridley sea turtle White abalone
• Caribbean monk seal Humpback whale
• Sei whale Smalltooth sawfish
• Fin whale  Kemp's ridley sea turtle
• Shortnose sturgeon 

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• Domestic Threatened Species
• Chinook salmon
• Johnson's sea grass Sockeye salmon
• Coho salmon Guadalupe fur seal
• Loggerhead sea turtle Steelhead
• Chum salmon  Gulf sturgeon 
• Steller sea lion