04.22.09

On Earth Day, Cantwell Leads Efforts to Protect Our Oceans' Mammals

WASHINGTON, DC – As the United States recognizes Earth Day, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) introduced the Marine Mammals Rescue Assistance Amendments Act, a bill that would strengthen the government’s efforts to protect and preserve marine mammals such as whales, seals, porpoise, sea lions, and sea otters. The Act would reauthorize and amend provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972 relating to the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Grant Program, which lends a much-needed helping hand to organizations that rescue and rehabilitate stranded mammals.   The bill is cosponsored by Sens. Olympia Snowe (D-ME), Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), John Kerry (D-MA), and Bill Nelson (D-FL).  
 
“Earth day is a day to celebrate the beauty of our planet and a time to renew our commitment to Earth’s breathtaking views and creatures,” said Senator Cantwell. “This bill strengthens the government’s commitment to our nation’s marine mammals, like Washington state’s Puget Sound southern resident orcas. Sometimes, these iconic mammals run into trouble and need our help. Whales, dolphins, seals and sea lions can become stranded on beaches, ensnared in fishing gear, or hit by boats. For far too long, groups of local citizens have taken on the financial burden of rescuing and rehabilitating these mammals with little financial support.”
 
Cantwell’s Marine Mammals Rescue Assistance Amendments Act would amend provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 relating to the competitive John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program (Prescott program).   Before this program was created, saving troubled marine mammals was the burden of small, locally-funded volunteer organizations, many of whom were members of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network. These groups of local citizens took on the financial burden of rescuing and rehabilitating stranded mammals, relied mainly on piecemeal fundraising, and were significantly underfunded. 
 
The Prescott program lends a much-needed helping hand to these organizations, helping defray costs for marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation. It also allows eligible Marine Mammal Stranding Network participants to use funds to collect scientific data to improve the treatment and operation of rescue and rehabilitation centers.
 
Washington state organizations like the Orca Network, the Makah Tribe, the Whale Museum, and the Cascadia Research Collective rely on funding from the Prescott Program, and last year, received a total of $319,000 in Prescott grant funding to help support their work preserving and protecting marine mammals. 
 
 
The Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Amendments Act would amend section 403 of the MMPA to:
 

  • Define the term “entanglement” and add authorization for entanglement response as eligible for funding under the program;

  • Require the Secretary of Commerce to collect and update existing practices and procedures for rescuing and rehabilitating entangled marine mammals;

  • Establishes an interest bearing fund in the Treasury for emergency response to marine mammal entanglement and stranding, and allow the program to solicit and accept gifts and other donations to increase the impact of the program;

  • Increase authorization for the program to $7 million for fiscal years 2009 to 2013; and

  • Increase the maximum grant for projects from $100,000 to $200,000.
Senator Cantwell is chairwoman of the Senate Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard. 
 
 
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