Republicans try to weaken 50-year-old law protecting whales, seals and polar bears

By PATRICK WHITTLE

BOOTHBAY HARBOR, Maine (AP) — Republican lawmakers are concentrating on one of many U.S.’s longest standing items of environmental laws, credited with serving to save uncommon whales from extinction.

Conservative leaders really feel they now have the political will to take away key items of the Marine Mammal Safety Act, enacted in 1972 to guard whales, seals, polar bears and different sea animals. The regulation additionally locations restrictions on business fishermen, shippers and different marine industries.

A GOP-led invoice within the works has assist from fishermen in Maine who say the regulation makes lobster fishing tougher, lobbyists for big-money species reminiscent of tuna in Hawaii and crab in Alaska, and marine producers who see the regulation as antiquated.

Conservation teams adamantly oppose the modifications and say weakening the regulation will erase years of hard-won features for jeopardized species such because the vanishing North Atlantic proper whale, of which there are lower than 400, and is weak to entanglement in fishing gear.

Right here’s what to know in regards to the safety act and the proposed modifications.

Why does the Seventies regulation nonetheless matter

“The Marine Mammal Safety Act is vital as a result of it’s one in all our bedrock legal guidelines that assist us to base conservation measures on the perfect accessible science,” mentioned Kathleen Collins, senior marine marketing campaign supervisor with Worldwide Fund for Animal Welfare. “Species getting ready to extinction have been introduced again.”

It was enacted the yr earlier than the Endangered Species Act, at a time when the motion to save lots of whales from extinction was rising. Scientist Roger Payne had found that whales might sing within the late Nineteen Sixties, and their voices quickly appeared on report albums and all through widespread tradition.

The regulation protects all marine mammals, and prohibits capturing or killing them in U.S. waters or by U.S. residents on the excessive seas. It allowed for preventative measures to cease business fishing ships and different companies from by accident harming animals reminiscent of whales and seals. The animals may be harmed by entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships and different hazards at sea.

The regulation additionally prevents the searching of marine mammals, together with polar bears, with exceptions for Indigenous teams. A few of these animals may be legally hunted in different nations.

Adjustments to grease and gasoline operations — and whale security

Republican Rep. Nick Begich of Alaska, a state with a big fishing trade, submitted a invoice draft this summer season that may roll again points of the regulation. The invoice says the act has “unduly and unnecessarily constrained authorities, tribes and the regulated group” since its inception.

The proposal states that it will make modifications reminiscent of decreasing inhabitants objectives for marine mammals from “most productiveness” to the extent wanted to “assist continued survival.” It might additionally ease guidelines on what constitutes hurt to marine mammals.

For instance, the regulation presently prevents harassment of sea mammals reminiscent of whales, and defines harassment as actions which have “the potential to injure a marine mammal.” The proposed modifications would restrict the definition to solely actions that truly injure the animals. That change might have main implications for industries reminiscent of oil and gasoline exploration the place uncommon whales dwell.

That poses an existential risk to the Rice’s whale, which numbers solely within the dozens and lives within the Gulf of Mexico, conservationists mentioned. And the proposal takes particular purpose on the North Atlantic proper whale protections with a clause that may delay guidelines designed to guard that declining whale inhabitants till 2035.

Begich and his employees didn’t return requires touch upon the invoice, and his employees declined to supply an replace about the place it stands in Congress. Begich has mentioned he needs “a invoice that protects marine mammals and in addition works for the individuals who dwell and work alongside them, particularly in Alaska.”

Fishing teams need restrictions loosened

A coalition of fishing teams from each coasts has come out in assist of the proposed modifications. Among the similar teams lauded a earlier effort by the Trump administration to scale back regulatory burdens on business fishing.

The teams mentioned in a July letter to Home members that they really feel Begich’s modifications mirror “a optimistic and vital step” for American fisheries’ success.

Restrictions imposed on lobster fishermen of Maine are designed to guard the proper whale, however they usually present little safety for the animals whereas limiting one in all America’s signature fisheries, Virginia Olsen, political director of the Maine Lobstering Union, mentioned. The restrictions stipulate the place lobstermen can fish and what varieties of substances they’ll use. The whales are weak to deadly entanglement in heavy fishing rope.

Gathering extra correct information about proper whales whereas revising the unique regulation would assist defend the animals, Olsen mentioned.

“We don’t wish to see marine mammals harmed; we want a wholesome, vibrant ocean and a plentiful marine habitat to proceed Maine’s heritage fishery,” Olsen mentioned.

Some members of different maritime industries have additionally referred to as on Congress to replace the regulation. The Nationwide Marine Producers Affiliation mentioned in a press release that the foundations haven’t saved tempo with developments within the marine trade, making innovation within the enterprise tough.

Environmentalists struggle again

Quite a few environmental teams have vowed to struggle to save lots of the safety act. They characterised the proposed modifications as a part of the Trump administration’s assault on environmental protections.

The act was instrumental in defending the humpback whale, one of many species most beloved by whale watchers, mentioned Gib Brogan, senior marketing campaign director with Oceana. Together with different sea mammals, humpbacks can be in jeopardy with out it, he mentioned.

“The Marine Mammal Safety Act is versatile. It really works. It’s efficient. We don’t must overhaul this regulation at this level,” Brogan mentioned.

What does this imply for seafood imports

The unique regulation makes it unlawful to import marine mammal merchandise with out a allow, and permits the U.S. to impose import prohibitions on seafood merchandise from international fisheries that don’t meet U.S. requirements.

The import embargoes are a significant sticking level as a result of they punish American companies, mentioned Gavin Gibbons, chief technique officer of the Nationwide Fisheries Institute, a Virginia-based seafood trade commerce group. It’s essential to supply seafood globally to have the ability to meet American demand for seafood, he mentioned.

The Nationwide Fisheries Institute and a coalition of trade teams sued the federal authorities Thursday over what they described as illegal implementation of the safety act. Gibbons mentioned the teams don’t oppose the act, however wish to see it responsibly applied.

“Our fisheries are nicely regulated and appropriately fished to their most sustainable yield,” Gibbons mentioned. “The women and men who work our waters are iconic and accountable. They’ll’t be anticipated to simply fish extra right here to make up a deficit whereas jeopardizing the sustainability they’ve labored so arduous to keep up.”

Some environmental teams mentioned the Republican lawmakers’ proposed modifications might weaken American seafood competitiveness by permitting imports from poorly regulated international fisheries.

This story was supported by funding from the Walton Household Basis. The AP is solely chargeable for all content material.

Initially Revealed: October 13, 2025 at 6:01 PM MDT