Marine Mammal Protection Act Reauthorization
Overview
NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Protected Resources has worked with its partners at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammal Commission, Department of Defense, and others to develop a legislative proposal on behalf of the Administration to reauthorize the MMPA.
Reauthorization Bill
Senate
On December 6, 2006, the Senate passed polar bear treaty provisions [pdf] that were included in the House-passed MMPA reauthorization bill, H.R. 4075 (see below). MMPA reauthorization will likely start again in the next Congressional session.
House of Representatives
On July 17, 2006, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4075 [pdf], a bill to reauthorize the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
The bill contains some of the proposed amendments in the Administration's MMPA reauthorization bill (see below). For instance, H.R. 4075 would increase the amounts of allowable fines and penalties collected for violations under the Act, although not to the same increased levels the Administration's bill prescribes. The bill also includes provisions that would require recreational fisheries that frequently or occasionally cause incidental mortality or serious injury to marine mammals to be included in the take reduction plan (TRP) process.
The bill does not include several proposed Administration amendments, most notably, the proposed changes to the harassment definition and Alaska Native co-management agreement program.
Administration
On June 16, 2005, the Administration transmitted its Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) reauthorization bill [pdf]. A Sectional Analysis of the Bill's amendments [pdf] was also made available.
Among other proposals, the bill includes amendments to:
- clarify the harassment definition
- strengthen marine mammal bycatch reduction initiatives, and
- enhance the enforcement capabilities of the Act.
