BOOTHBAY HARBOR, Maine (AP) — 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 marine animals. The law also places restrictions on commercial fishermen, shippers, and other marine industries.
A GOP-led bill in the works has support from fishermen in Maine, who say the law makes lobster fishing more difficult, lobbyists for big-money species such as tuna in Hawaii and crab in Alaska, and marine manufacturers who see the law as antiquated.
Conservation groups adamantly oppose the changes and say weakening the law will erase years of hard-won gains for jeopardized species such as the vanishing North Atlantic right whale, of which there are less than 400.
Here’s what to know about the protection act and the proposed changes.
“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 the International Fund for Animal Welfare. “Species on the brink of extinction have been brought back.”
The act currently prohibits the hunting of marine mammals, including polar bears, with exceptions for Indigenous groups. It's designed to prevent activities that could harm marine species, including accidental entanglement in fishing gear or collisions with ships.
Begich and his staff did not return calls for comment on the bill, and his staff declined to provide an update about where it stands in Congress. The proposed changes would loosen restrictions seen as detrimental to fishing and could delay protections for the North Atlantic right whale until 2035.
Numerous environmental groups have vowed to fight to save the protection act, describing the proposed changes as part of a broader trend to diminish environmental protections. They argue that the act is flexible and has proven effective over the years in protecting vital marine species.
The ongoing debate highlights the complex intersection of environmental conservation, commercial interests, and regulatory frameworks aimed at safeguarding marine life.
