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Marine Mammal Climate Change Protection Act
12/14/2023, 8:15 AM
Summary of Bill HR 1383
Specifically, the bill calls for the development of a comprehensive strategy to address the threats posed by climate change to marine mammals, including rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and changes in food availability. The strategy would involve collaboration between federal agencies, state governments, and stakeholders to identify and implement measures to protect marine mammal populations.
Additionally, the bill includes provisions for research and monitoring programs to assess the impact of climate change on marine mammals and their habitats. This would involve studying the effects of climate change on marine mammal behavior, reproduction, and distribution, as well as identifying areas of critical habitat that may be at risk due to climate change. Overall, the Marine Mammal Climate Change Protection Act aims to ensure the long-term survival of marine mammal populations in the face of climate change. By implementing proactive measures to protect and conserve these species, the bill seeks to safeguard the health of marine ecosystems and the biodiversity of our oceans.
Congressional Summary of HR 1383
Marine Mammal Climate Change Protection Act
This bill establishes requirements to protect marine mammals adversely affected by climate change, including by establishing a program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to monitor the adverse impacts of climate change on marine mammals.
In addition, it also requires NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to issue regulations that list marine mammal species in waters under U.S. jurisdiction for which climate change is more likely than not to result in a decline in population abundance, an impeded population recovery, or a reduced carrying capacity (i.e., the maximum population of a marine mammal species that an area will support without undergoing deterioration). The NMFS and the USFWS must update the list at least once every five years and issue regulations that include climate impact management plans for species on such list.
The bill also directs the NMFS and the USFWS to review agreements with foreign governments concerning the management of marine mammals that are or may be affected by climate change. The Department of State must initiate amendments to such agreements or negotiate the development of such agreements in a manner consistent with the goals of the bill.
