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Marine Mammal Protection Act Amendments of 1994

1/6/2024, 5:27 PM

Congressional Summary of S 1636

Marine Mammal Protection Act Amendments of 1993 - Amends Federal law to extend authorized appropriations for FY 1994 through 1998 for the Department of Commerce, the Department of the Interior, and the Marine Mammal Commission to carry out the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972.

Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to allow commercial fishing operations the incidental lethal taking of marine mammals from a species or stock designated as depleted because of its listing as an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, if such taking is pursuant to a statement issued by the Secretary of the Commerce.

Requires conservation plans to only address non-incidental takings, if an incidental taking plan is necessary to reduce such taking from a critical stock.

Requires the Secretary, in implementing the incidental taking program, to seek the advice of experts in marine mammal biology and ecology, population dynamics and modeling, and commercial fishing technology and practices.

Requires the publication of updated stock assessments annually for stocks considered critical and every three years for all other marine mammal stocks. Requires the stock to be designated into five categories ranked in priority based in population trend, size, and level of total lethal take.

Requires the Secretary to develop and implement an incidental taking plan designed to assist in the recovery of each marine mammal stock that is listed as a critical stock and interacts with commercial fisheries. Requires regulations implementing such plan to reduce incidental lethal or serious injury takes to insignificant rates approaching zero within ten years.

Authorizes the Secretary to develop a system to register commercial fishing vessels and to assist fishery efforts where necessary to understand the interaction between commercial fisheries and marine mammal stocks in a region.

Sets forth reporting requirements for commercial fishing vessels on incidental lethal and serious injury takings.

Authorizes the Secretary to establish a program to monitor such takes during the course of commercial fishing operations which includes observers on certain vessels.

Directs the Secretary to establish an incidental take team for the harbor seal stock in Alaska and for the harbor porpoise stock in the Gulf of Maine to immediately draft an incidental taking plan.

Authorizes the Secretary to prohibit certain forms of deterrence used on marine mammals that have a significant adverse effect.

Read the Full Bill

Current Status of Bill S 1636

Bill S 1636 is currently in the status of Bill Introduced since November 8, 1993. Bill S 1636 was introduced during Congress 103 and was introduced to the Senate on November 8, 1993.  Bill S 1636's most recent activity was Became Public Law No: 103-238. as of April 30, 1994

Bipartisan Support of Bill S 1636

Total Number of Sponsors
1
Democrat Sponsors
1
Republican Sponsors
0
Unaffiliated Sponsors
0
Total Number of Cosponsors
2
Democrat Cosponsors
0
Republican Cosponsors
2
Unaffiliated Cosponsors
0

Policy Area and Potential Impact of Bill S 1636

Primary Policy Focus

Animals

Potential Impact Areas

- Administrative fees
- Administrative procedure
- Alaska
- Anadromous fishes
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Arts, Culture, Religion
- Authorization
- Bears
- Bering Sea
- Birds
- California
- Canada
- Coastal zone
- Congress
- Congressional reporting requirements
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Cultural relations
- Data banks
- Department of Commerce
- Department of the Interior
- Ecological research
- Economics and Public Finance
- Ecosystem management
- Education
- Endangered animals
- Environmental Protection
- Environmental assessment
- Environmental monitoring
- Eskimos
- Europe
- Export controls
- Exports
- Federal advisory bodies
- Federal-Indian relations
- Fines (Penalties)
- Fisheries
- Fishery management
- Fishing
- Fishing boats
- Foreign Trade and International Finance
- Government Operations and Politics
- Government paperwork
- Government trust funds
- Greenland
- Habitat conservation
- Handicraft
- Harbors
- Hawaii
- Higher education
- Hunting
- Import restrictions
- Imports
- Indian hunting and fishing rights
- International Affairs
- International environmental cooperation
- Ivory
- Land transfers
- Licenses
- Maine
- Marine Mammal Commission
- Marine and coastal resources, fisheries
- Marine ecology
- Marine mammal protection
- Marine mammals
- Minorities
- Native Americans
- Naval bases
- Oregon
- Pacific Ocean
- Photography
- Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Research
- Russia
- Russian Republic
- Salmon fisheries
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Sealing
- Seashore ecology
- Service academies
- Shipbuilding
- Ships
- South Carolina
- Sports and Recreation
- Territorial waters
- Texas
- Transportation and Public Works
- Treaties
- Tuna fisheries
- Washington State
- Whales
- Wildlife conservation
- Wildlife management
- Zoological research
- Zoos

Alternate Title(s) of Bill S 1636

Marine Mammal Protection Act Amendments of 1993
Marine Mammal Protection Act Amendments of 1994
Marine Mammal Protection Act Amendments of 1993
Marine Mammal Protection Act Amendments of 1994
A bill to authorize appropriations for the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and to improve the program to reduce the incidental taking of marine mammals during the course of commercial fishing operations, and for other purposes.

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