What is the Marine Mammal Protection Act?

The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) is a federal law in the United States that was enacted in 1972 in order to protect both marine mammals and their habitats. This law was created to regulate marine mammal activities within the United States and its territories, including the waters around Florida. It protects all marine mammals, including whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, walruses, manatees, and sea otters, and restricts activities that would otherwise put their well-being and habitat at risk. The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) consists of four major components. It makes it illegal to hunt, take, or harass any marine mammal, it makes it illegal to import, export, or sell any marine mammal parts or products, it establishes a process for issuing permits allowing people to take marine mammals for research or educational purposes, and it requires the maintenance of records of all commercial marine mammal activity. In addition to all of this, the MMPA also requires the Secretary of Commerce to set aside certain areas of ocean where no activities that may harm marine mammal populations can occur. The MMPA also requires that all vessels operating in these areas must have special permits and follow regulations to minimize their impact. In Florida, the MMPA is enforced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Fisheries Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The FWC and NOAA both have the authority to issue citations to those who violate the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and fines for violations can be up to $100,000.

Related FAQs

What are the federal environmental laws?
What is the Coastal Zone Management Act?
What is environmental impact assessment?
What is an environmental regulatory compliance plan?
What is the Marine Mammal Protection Act?
What is the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act?
What is the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act?
How does environmental law protect water quality?
What is the Pollution Prevention Act?
What is the Endangered Species Act?

What is the Marine Mammal Protection Act?

Related FAQs

Related Blog Posts