Latest news with #MMPA
USA Today
20 hours ago
- Politics
- USA Today
We saved elephant seals, sea otters from extinction. Congress puts that at risk.
I'm proud of the Marine Mammal Protect Act of 1972 and its legacy for our children. But a proposal in Congress would leave wildlife like dolphins and whales vulnerable. Half a century ago, the American people took a remarkable step. They realized that their own survival is entwined with the survival of other animals. They understood the importance of keeping important species thriving, not just for environmental reasons but for economic ones, too. People love dolphins, whales, seals, manatees, sea otters, polar bears and other species. In 1972, their overwhelming public support for these creatures, coupled with awareness of the importance of biodiversity, led Congress to pass, and President Richard Nixon to sign, the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Today, congressional leaders are working on a bill that, without major changes, would just about destroy the protection act. In recent testimony, I shared my concern with lawmakers. I want to provide a glimpse into how the Marine Mammal Protection Act works, because I think it exposes just how extreme this new proposal is. Resurgence of marine mammals is not an accident It's important to understand that the protection act is a hugely successful law. Since its passage, not a single species has disappeared from American waters. Perhaps the most incredible recovery to me is the mighty elephant seal. Once diminished to fewer than 100, its population is now 10,000 strong in Central California. The elephant seal also is an important economic resource for the people of California, because tens of millions of dollars flow into the region where people go to witness these incredible creatures. Another marine mammal, the sea otter − once critically endangered and hunted for its fur − now thrives in much of its range, from Alaska to California. The MMPA has helped keep our oceans productive. It also has helped yield the largest wildlife-watching industry on the planet, an economic boon for coastal communities. The act sets strong standards, requiring ocean users to minimize how they affect marine mammals to achieve thriving and resilient populations. My husband wrote 'Jaws.' We need to better protect the oceans he loved. | Opinion Our ocean is a busy place, and we use it more and more every year. Marine species today face greater challenges than ever: displaced and shifting fish stocks, habitat loss, warming waters and increased pollution. The Marine Mammal Protection Act's authors recognized that marine mammals can thrive only when their ecosystem as a whole is managed appropriately, using the best available science. That means scientific data, rigor and challenge. Proposed changes in the law would threaten marine mammals However, the legislation under consideration would ban the use of crucial data and scientific modeling. That would jeopardize marine mammals, especially those that are isolated or less studied. It would slow − by 10 years − efforts to save North Atlantic right whales from entanglement in fishing gear and other threats. This vulnerable population is already on life support, down to about 370 individuals. Slowing protection could render the species extinct very soon. The protection act aims to keep marine mammals healthy and restore them to their optimum sustainable population. But the proposed legislation would set a lower bar, just short of extinction. The new standards would merely require 'survival' of a species. That would drive population decline. At a time when the administration is slashing agency budgets and staff, the new legislation would set artificially tight deadlines for regulating harmful activities. That would essentially allow those activities automatically, undermining conservation of the Florida manatee, Alaska polar bears, the Northwest's resident orcas and more. Opinion: Senate passed Trump's Big Beautiful Bill – and made it even uglier The proposed changes also would do away with important 'bycatch' provisions, which regulate unintentional capture of fish or marine wildlife during fishing operations. Currently, management plans developed with input from commercial fishermen and other stakeholders protect endangered, threatened and depleted marine mammal populations from bycatch in commercial fisheries to reduce these incidental deaths to sustainable levels. The proposed bill would make it harder for agencies to limit those losses. I'm proud of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and its legacy for our children. America has vast natural resources. Having worked in more than 100 countries, I believe no other nation on earth rivals what we've been blessed with here. Our extraordinary natural treasures, from fish to forests, contribute to our natural prosperity and global strength. Our shared natural treasures belong to every American to be wisely used, cared for and then passed on to future generations to harvest and cherish. While America's nature is abundant, it is not unlimited. In the past, uniquely American species have been driven to extinction through negligence and exploitation. There was robust bipartisan support to set up this system for protecting wildlife, and it's a system that has worked wonders. We need that bipartisan approach to continue. If we support the protection act's mission by keeping the law strong, we will ensure that Americans inherit a nation rich in natural resources from the land to the sea. But if Congress fails to support this consequential legislation, it will be a catastrophe of our own making and on our watch. Jeff Corwin is a wildlife biologist, executive producer and television host, outdoorsman and fisherman.
CBS News
7 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Florida federal judge shuts out conservation groups from lawsuit aimed at protecting North Atlantic right whales
A Florida federal judge Wednesday refused to allow conservation groups to intervene in a lawsuit to help defend a rule aimed at protecting endangered North Atlantic right whales, after the groups expressed concerns about the Trump administration's commitment to the protections. U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell's decision came in a lawsuit filed in March by Florida resident Gerald Eubanks, who piloted his boat, M/V Determination III, from Florida to South Carolina in 2022. He was later fined $14,250 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for violating a speed limit designed to protect the whales. The lawsuit, which names as defendants the agency known as NOAA and U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, challenges the fine and the legitimacy of a speed-limit rule. The 2008 rule limits speeds to 10 knots for vessels that are over 65 feet during certain times and places off the East Coast. The groups Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Defenders of Wildlife, Conservation Law Foundation and the Center for Biological Diversity filed a motion in March to intervene in the case. The request said the groups have long sought to protect right whales from being struck by vessels and pointed to years of clashes with the federal government about the issue. "The recent change in presidential administration further suggests that defendants (NOAA and Lutnick) may not adequately represent conservation groups' interests. … The current (Trump) administration has already staked out its interest in limiting the reach of the ESA (Endangered Species Act) and MMPA (Marine Mammal Protection Act) and in identifying regulations implementing these statutes for suspension, revision or rescission," the motion said, referring to two key laws. "If it determines that the vessel speed rule is at odds with its current policy objectives, it may not share conservation (groups') goal of mounting a vigorous legal defense. While defendants have not yet asserted their position, this administration change casts additional doubt on the adequacy of their representation." But in her ruling Wednesday, Honeywell wrote that the groups "failed to identify actions by the new presidential administration that indicates a risk of shift in policy." "The government seeks to enforce plaintiff's citation by defending the validity of the vessel speed rule, and conservation groups seek to protect right whales by defending the validity of the same rule," Honeywell wrote. "Thus, conservation groups' objective in defending the vessel speed rule is identical to that of the government." The NOAA website describes North Atlantic right whales as "one of the world's most endangered large whale species." It said about 370 of the whales remain. They migrate each fall from areas such as New England and Canada to calving grounds off Northeast Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. The lawsuit, which is pending in federal court in Tampa, said Eubanks was fined for traveling about 18 knots for 200 miles. It contends NOAA did not have authority under federal law to issue the speed-limit rule. It said that if the rule is supported by law, it would demonstrate "rulemaking power so broad and unconstrained as to constitute a delegation of lawmaking power" that would violate the U.S. Constitution.
Business Upturn
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Upturn
EnerGeo Alliance Testified in Support of the Modernization of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)
Washington D.C., U.S., July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Forrest Burkholder, EnerGeo Alliance's Board of Directors Vice Chair and President and CEO of SAExploration, testified on behalf of EnerGeo Alliance during the Legislative hearing including Rep. Begich Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) Discussion Draft Bill. Burkholder, in his testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee – Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries, highlighted the absolute necessity of modernizing and revising the MMPA, and applauded Representative Begich's efforts in this direction: 'America and the world continue to need energy; the majority of energy comes from the earth, and Geosciences are the primary source of information that enables responsible production', he said. 'Of critical importance is the permitting process; despite –or precisely because of its importance, the process is a point of heightened vulnerability for the geoscience industry. Permitting of exploration is often stalled in regulatory reviews without clear timelines and is a favored entry point for activists seeking to block American energy development. Whether that's petroleum, natural gas, or even alternative energy.' Alaska is one of the areas where, despite responsible operations by the industry, issued permits for exploration activities have been stalled for multiple years due to unexplained delays. This uncertainty has a direct impact on local communities, the state's, and the nation's economic well-being and energy security. Over the past years, the MMPA and other environmental laws, created to provide better protections for the environment, have been exploited by activists to hinder energy development projects: 'The MMPA was intended to provide better protections for marine mammals from human activities that can cause direct physical harm to them – a goal that has largely been realized. Decades of regulation and litigation have caused the MMPA to be interpreted far more expansively than Congress intended and exposed significant flaws in the plain language of the Act.' 'As with many laws, we don't always know the problems until we've operated under them.', continued Burkholder. 'We've learned that for some people it's easy to exploit the ambiguities in existing regulations governing the potential 'take' of these activities. Activists have discovered that those ambiguities create opportunities for regulatory sabotage that can freeze agency activity and undermine all the best intentions of honest regulators.' Rep. Begich's Draft Bill represents an opportunity to fix these issues: 'By setting reasonable deadlines in the application process, removing unnecessary duplication between the MMPA and ESA, along with removing or defining terms, Congress can ensure the agencies are accountable to existing statutory timelines and prevent future misapplication of the statute so that it can function as originally intended.' 'Fixing these problems would increase permitting efficiency, decrease uncertainty, and ultimately benefit all stakeholders, the implementing agencies, and most importantly, marine mammals. It would prevent abuse of the law and facilitate greater geoscience investment and American energy independence.', concluded Burkholder. ### About EnerGeo Alliance Founded in 1971, EnerGeo Alliance is the global trade alliance for the energy geoscience industry, the intersection where earth science and energy meet. We represent the geoscience companies, innovators, and energy developers that use earth science to discover, develop, and deliver energy to our world. Together, we are Making Energy Possible. Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash
Toronto Star
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
EnerGeo Alliance Testified in Support of the Modernization of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)
Washington D.C., U.S., July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Forrest Burkholder, EnerGeo Alliance's Board of Directors Vice Chair and President and CEO of SAExploration, testified on behalf of EnerGeo Alliance during the Legislative hearing including Rep. Begich Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) Discussion Draft Bill. Burkholder, in his testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee - Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries, highlighted the absolute necessity of modernizing and revising the MMPA, and applauded Representative Begich's efforts in this direction:
Hamilton Spectator
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
EnerGeo Alliance Testified in Support of the Modernization of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)
Washington D.C., U.S., July 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Forrest Burkholder, EnerGeo Alliance's Board of Directors Vice Chair and President and CEO of SAExploration, testified on behalf of EnerGeo Alliance during the Legislative hearing including Rep. Begich Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) Discussion Draft Bill. Burkholder, in his testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee - Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries, highlighted the absolute necessity of modernizing and revising the MMPA, and applauded Representative Begich's efforts in this direction: 'America and the world continue to need energy; the majority of energy comes from the earth, and Geosciences are the primary source of information that enables responsible production', he said. 'Of critical importance is the permitting process; despite –or precisely because of its importance, the process is a point of heightened vulnerability for the geoscience industry. Permitting of exploration is often stalled in regulatory reviews without clear timelines and is a favored entry point for activists seeking to block American energy development. Whether that's petroleum, natural gas, or even alternative energy.' Alaska is one of the areas where, despite responsible operations by the industry, issued permits for exploration activities have been stalled for multiple years due to unexplained delays. This uncertainty has a direct impact on local communities, the state's, and the nation's economic well-being and energy security. Over the past years, the MMPA and other environmental laws, created to provide better protections for the environment, have been exploited by activists to hinder energy development projects: 'The MMPA was intended to provide better protections for marine mammals from human activities that can cause direct physical harm to them – a goal that has largely been realized. Decades of regulation and litigation have caused the MMPA to be interpreted far more expansively than Congress intended and exposed significant flaws in the plain language of the Act.' 'As with many laws, we don't always know the problems until we've operated under them.', continued Burkholder. 'We've learned that for some people it's easy to exploit the ambiguities in existing regulations governing the potential 'take' of these activities. Activists have discovered that those ambiguities create opportunities for regulatory sabotage that can freeze agency activity and undermine all the best intentions of honest regulators.' Rep. Begich's Draft Bill represents an opportunity to fix these issues: 'By setting reasonable deadlines in the application process, removing unnecessary duplication between the MMPA and ESA, along with removing or defining terms, Congress can ensure the agencies are accountable to existing statutory timelines and prevent future misapplication of the statute so that it can function as originally intended.' 'Fixing these problems would increase permitting efficiency, decrease uncertainty, and ultimately benefit all stakeholders, the implementing agencies, and most importantly, marine mammals. It would prevent abuse of the law and facilitate greater geoscience investment and American energy independence.', concluded Burkholder. ### About EnerGeo Alliance Founded in 1971, EnerGeo Alliance is the global trade alliance for the energy geoscience industry, the intersection where earth science and energy meet. We represent the geoscience companies, innovators, and energy developers that use earth science to discover, develop, and deliver energy to our world. Together, we are Making Energy Possible .
