Marine+Mammal+Protection+Act+of+1972

= Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 =



__Overview:__
The Marine Mammal Protection Act was created in 1972 to protect marine mammals from being hunted or attacked by humans in the United States. The bill was one of Richard Nixon's reforms to help improve environmental awareness and protection. After originally being drafted in the year 1972, it was revised and amended five times, once in each of the following years: 1981, 1982, 1984, 1988 and 1994. While some reforms were more significant than others, this bill has had a large impact on marine mammals living in American waters.

__Jurisdiction and Enforcement:__
This is a law that only applies to citizens of the United States both in indigenous waters and the high seas. It is enforced by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as a subset of the Endangered Species Act.

__Why the Law Was Needed and What Does the Law Do:__
As people noticed that marine mammals were dying out, they noticed that fish were becoming overpopulated. In addition to this they noticed that the mammals were disappearing at unsustainable levels. This means that the mammals would very soon go extinct which would upset the balance of the ecosystem in American waters. This law was a strong benefit even after the foundation of the Endangered Species Act because it protected animals that were at stages just before endangerment (depletion) giving us a better chance to protect the mammals from even becoming endangered at all. This act protects both pinnipeds (marine mammals that walk on land occasionally such as seals and walruses) and cetaceans (marine mammals that always stay in water such as dolphins and whales).

__Effectiveness of the Act__
This act is especially difficult to monitor because the ocean is so big and there are many places that a species could migrate to and hide in. Further, this is only an American law and while populations may be somewhat measurable in American waters, it may be difficult to monitor them in countries all around the world. Some species that are protected under this act and currently are not endangered in any way include but are not limited to: California Sea-Lion; Clymene Dolphin; Dall's Porpoise; Dwarf Sperm Whale; Pygmy Killer Whale.

__Citations__
"Welcome - Office of Protected Resources - NOAA Fisheries." //NOAA :: National Marine Fisheries Service//. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. .

"Issues Related to the Marine Mammal Protection Act, United States." //Encyclopedia of Earth//. Web. 16 Feb. 2011. .

Whale Picture: http://www.gallopingfilms.com/gf/images/humpback_whale_sfw.jpg Walrus Picture: http://alaska.fws.gov/fisheries/mmm/images/walrus_family_affair.gif