By PATRICK WHITTLE
BOOTHBAY HARBOR, Maine (AP) — Republican lawmakers are concentrating on one of many U.S.’s longest standing items of environmental legislation, credited with serving to save rare whales from extinction.
Conservative leaders really feel they now have the political will to take away key items of the Marine Mammal Safety Act, enacted in 1972 to guard whales, seals, polar bears and different sea animals. The legislation additionally locations restrictions on business fishermen, shippers and different marine industries.
A GOP-led invoice within the works has help from fishermen in Maine who say the legislation makes lobster fishing harder, lobbyists for big-money species equivalent to tuna in Hawaii and crab in Alaska, and marine producers who see the legislation as antiquated.
Conservation teams adamantly oppose the adjustments and say weakening the legislation will erase years of hard-won positive aspects for jeopardized species such because the vanishing North Atlantic right whale, of which there are lower than 400, and is weak to entanglement in fishing gear.
Right here’s what to know in regards to the safety act and the proposed adjustments.
Why does the Nineteen Seventies legislation nonetheless matter
“The Marine Mammal Safety Act is essential as a result of it’s considered one of our bedrock legal guidelines that assist us to base conservation measures on the perfect out there science,” stated Kathleen Collins, senior marine marketing campaign supervisor with Worldwide Fund for Animal Welfare. “Species getting ready to extinction have been introduced again.”
It was enacted the 12 months earlier than the Endangered Species Act, at a time when the motion to avoid wasting whales from extinction was rising. Scientist Roger Payne had discovered that whales may sing within the late Sixties, and their voices quickly appeared on report albums and all through standard tradition.
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Frequent dolphins swim off the Maine coast on Oct. 5, 2025. (AP Picture/Patrick Whittle)
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Frequent dolphins swim off the Maine coast on Oct. 5, 2025. (AP Picture/Patrick Whittle)
The legislation protects all marine mammals, and prohibits capturing or killing them in U.S. waters or by U.S. residents on the excessive seas. It allowed for preventative measures to cease business fishing ships and different companies from unintentionally harming animals equivalent to whales and seals. The animals could be harmed by entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships and different hazards at sea.
The legislation additionally prevents the looking of marine mammals, together with polar bears, with exceptions for Indigenous teams. A few of these animals could be legally hunted in different international locations.
Modifications to grease and gasoline operations — and whale security
Republican Rep. Nick Begich of Alaska, a state with a big fishing business, submitted a invoice draft this summer season that may roll again elements of the legislation. The invoice says the act has “unduly and unnecessarily constrained authorities, tribes and the regulated group” since its inception.
The proposal states that it could make adjustments equivalent to decreasing inhabitants targets for marine mammals from “most productiveness” to the extent wanted to “help continued survival.” It could additionally ease guidelines on what constitutes hurt to marine mammals.
For instance, the legislation presently prevents harassment of sea mammals equivalent to whales, and defines harassment as actions which have “the potential to injure a marine mammal.” The proposed adjustments would restrict the definition to solely actions that really injure the animals. That change may have main implications for industries equivalent to oil and gasoline exploration the place uncommon whales stay.
That poses an existential risk to the Rice’s whale, which numbers solely within the dozens and lives within the Gulf of Mexico, conservationists stated. And the proposal takes particular purpose on the North Atlantic right whale protections with a clause that may delay guidelines designed to guard that declining whale inhabitants till 2035.
Begich and his employees didn’t return requires touch upon the invoice, and his employees declined to offer an replace about the place it stands in Congress. Begich has stated he needs “a invoice that protects marine mammals and in addition works for the individuals who stay and work alongside them, particularly in Alaska.”
Fishing teams need restrictions loosened
A coalition of fishing teams from each coasts has come out in help of the proposed adjustments. A few of the identical teams lauded a earlier effort by the Trump administration to cut back regulatory burdens on business fishing.
The teams stated in a July letter to Home members that they really feel Begich’s adjustments replicate “a constructive and mandatory step” for American fisheries’ success.
Restrictions imposed on lobster fishermen of Maine are designed to guard the proper whale, however they typically present little safety for the animals whereas limiting considered one of America’s signature fisheries, Virginia Olsen, political director of the Maine Lobstering Union, stated. The restrictions stipulate the place lobstermen can fish and what sorts of drugs they will use. The whales are weak to deadly entanglement in heavy fishing rope.
Gathering extra correct information about proper whales whereas revising the unique legislation would assist defend the animals, Olsen stated.
“We don’t need to see marine mammals harmed; we’d like a wholesome, vibrant ocean and a plentiful marine habitat to proceed Maine’s heritage fishery,” Olsen stated.
Some members of different maritime industries have additionally known as on Congress to replace the legislation. The Nationwide Marine Producers Affiliation stated in a press release that the principles haven’t saved tempo with developments within the marine business, making innovation within the enterprise troublesome.
Environmentalists struggle again
Quite a few environmental teams have vowed to struggle to avoid wasting the safety act. They characterised the proposed adjustments as a part of the Trump administration’s assault on environmental protections.
The act was instrumental in defending the humpback whale, one of many species most beloved by whale watchers, stated Gib Brogan, senior marketing campaign director with Oceana. Together with different sea mammals, humpbacks can be in jeopardy with out it, he stated.
“The Marine Mammal Safety Act is versatile. It really works. It’s efficient. We don’t must overhaul this legislation at this level,” Brogan stated.
What does this imply for seafood imports
The unique legislation makes it unlawful to import marine mammal merchandise and not using a allow, and permits the U.S. to impose import prohibitions on seafood merchandise from international fisheries that don’t meet U.S. requirements.
The import embargoes are a significant sticking level as a result of they punish American companies, stated Gavin Gibbons, chief technique officer of the Nationwide Fisheries Institute, a Virginia-based seafood business commerce group. It’s important to supply seafood globally to have the ability to meet American demand for seafood, he stated.
The Nationwide Fisheries Institute and a coalition of business teams sued the federal authorities Thursday over what they described as illegal implementation of the safety act. Gibbons stated the teams don’t oppose the act, however need to see it responsibly carried out.
“Our fisheries are effectively regulated and appropriately fished to their most sustainable yield,” Gibbons stated. “The women and men who work our waters are iconic and accountable. They’ll’t be anticipated to simply fish extra right here to make up a deficit whereas jeopardizing the sustainability they’ve labored so onerous to take care of.”
Some environmental teams stated the Republican lawmakers’ proposed adjustments may weaken American seafood competitiveness by permitting imports from poorly regulated international fisheries.
This story was supported by funding from the Walton Household Basis. The AP is solely answerable for all content material.
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