NOAA Fisheries News Releases
NEWS RELEASE
April 7, 1999
Carol Tocco
(907) 586-7032
SHOOTING SEA LIONS AND SEALS IS ILLEGAL
NOAA Fisheries reminds Alaskan fishermen, boat operators, small plane pilots, and those people participating in marine mammal viewing or other activities, that it is illegal to harass, hunt, capture, or kill any marine mammal and cautions people to avoid disturbance of these animals. Penalties for violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act are severe, up to $20,000 fine and/or one year imprisonment.
The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) prohibits the take of all marine mammal species in U.S. waters, with only a few exceptions. Take is defined as " to harass, hunt, capture, or kill, or attempt to harass, hunt, capture, or kill any marine mammal". Harassment is defined in the MMPA as "any act of pursuit, torment, or annoyance which has the potential to injure a marine mammal or marine mammal stock in the wild; or cause disruption of behavioral patterns, including, but not limited to, migration, breathing, nursing, breeding, feeding, or sheltering".
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) provides additional protection to species of marine mammals listed as endangered or threatened by further defining take as "to harm, pursue, shoot, wound or collect". Several species of whales and the western population of Steller sea lions (west of Cape Suckling, Alaska) are listed as endangered. The eastern population (east of Cape Suckling) of Steller sea lions is listed as threatened. Violators of the ESA will also be subject to severe penalties.
"As recent as last year, we've had unfortunate incidents where sea lions were shot," said Dr. Tim Ragen, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Coordinator for recovery of threatened and endangered Steller sea lions in Alaska. "The loss of endangered Steller sea lions from any source is hazardous to the future of this population, and illegal shooting contributes to that decline. We have to stop this illegal shooting of all marine mammals."
Report any harassment or shooting of marine mammals to your local state or federal wildlife enforcement office, or call the toll-free hotline at 1-800-853-1964. For additional information on protecting marine mammals and a free copy of Alaska Marine Mammal Viewing Guidelines, call NMFS Protected Resources at (907) 586-7235.