"Republican lawmakers are targeting one of the U.S.'s longest standing pieces of environmental legislation, credited with helping save rare whales from extinction. Conservative leaders feel they now have the political will to remove key pieces of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, enacted in 1972 to protect whales, seals, polar bears and other sea animals. The law also places restrictions on commercial fishermen, shippers and other marine industries."
""The Marine Mammal Protection Act is important because it's one of our bedrock laws that help us to base conservation measures on the best available science," said Kathleen Collins, senior marine campaign manager with International Fund for Animal Welfare. "Species on the brink of extinction have been brought back." It was enacted the year before the Endangered Species Act, at a time when the movement to save whales from extinction was growing."
Republican lawmakers are moving to remove key provisions from the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act, which protects whales, seals, polar bears and other sea animals. Conservative leaders say they have political momentum to ease restrictions on commercial fishermen, shippers and marine manufacturers. Proposed changes have backing from Maine lobster fishermen, Hawaiian tuna lobbyists, and Alaska crab interests. Conservation groups strongly oppose weakening the law and warn that reduced protections would imperil species such as the North Atlantic right whale, which numbers fewer than 400 and faces entanglement risks. The law originally prohibited capturing or killing marine mammals and enabled preventive measures against accidental harm.
#marine-mammal-protection-act #marine-conservation #fisheries-regulation #north-atlantic-right-whale
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