Marine Mammal Protection Act

Purpose of law

• Protects all marine mammals• Regulates “take” animals in US waters• Regulates imports of protected mammals• Amendment s• To allow Native Alaskans to whale for

subsistence• To control by-catch

Date passed and amendments

• October 21, 1972Major amendments:• 1981- allowed incidental take in commercial fishing• 1984- restricted import of tuna based on fishing technique• 1986-allows incidental take in noncomercial practice• 1988-allows commercial fishers to have incidental take,

ecological study for population level, conservation plans for “depleted” populations, allows permits to take for research and breeding, monitary reward system for people reporting violations of law

Date passed and amendments

• 1986-allows incidental take in non-commercial practice

• 1988-allows commercial fishers to have incidental take, ecological study for population level, conservation plans for “depleted” populations, allows permits to take for research and breeding, monetary reward system for people reporting violations of law

What does this law impact

• Cetaceans• Pinnipeds• Sirenians • Sea otters• Polar bears • Native Alaskans• Whaling

freerepublic.com

hedweb.comwhyy.org

biology-blog.com

Why was this law needed?

• To prevent species from going extinct• To prevent species from decreasing below a

sustainable population level• There was a lack of knowledge about the

ecology of the ocean

Changes to human behavior

• Change in fishing practices• Ecotourism/whale watching

bigtravelweb.com

Effectiveness of the lawBottlenose Dolphins

• Overall the act is helpful • Populations are still declining• 1990s laws regarding tuna labels helped

reduce by-catch by 97% (national parks conservation association)

• Law protects marine mammal but not necessarily their necessary resources

How to improve the lawBottlenose Dolphins

• Create a national marine conservation program that limits commercial fishing, regulates fishing practices, and promotes sustainable use of resources.

• One over-reaching law not small separate laws with loop-holes

• No incidental catches allowed/incure fines

Works Cited in MLA format• Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. National Oceanic

and Atmospheric Administration. June 14, 2011. http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/laws/mmpa/.

• Digest of Federal Resource Laws of Interest to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. US Fish and Wildlife Service. June 14, 2011. http://www.fws.gov/laws/lawsdigest/marmam.html.

• Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). National Parks Conservation Association. June 14, 2011. http://www.npca.org/marine_and_coastal/marine_wildlife/dolphin.html