Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Marine Mammals topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Presenter highlights 50 years of Marine Mammal Commission oversight
Summary
A presenter said marine mammals support coastal jobs and tourism, were nearing extinction in the early 1970s, and that Congress passed the Marine Mammal Protection Act with bipartisan support; the presenter said the Marine Mammal Commission has provided independent, science-based oversight for more than 50 years.
A presenter told the meeting that marine mammals are a key part of the nation’s natural-resource heritage and an economic asset for coastal communities.
"Marine mammals are an iconic and amazing part of our country's natural resource heritage," the presenter said, adding that they generate tourism revenue and jobs for coastal communities and act as "ocean ambassadors." The presenter warned that "in the early 1970s, marine mammals around the world were on the verge of extinction," and said that concern led the American people to ask Congress to pass the Marine Mammal Protection Act with overwhelming bipartisan support.
The speaker said the Marine Mammal Commission has, for more than 50 years, provided "independent science based oversight of US actions affecting marine mammals and their habitats." The remarks framed the commission’s role as monitoring and advising on policies intended to sustain marine-mammal populations and the habitats they rely on.
No motions or votes were recorded in the transcript of these remarks.
