Marine Mammal Protection Act Amendments of 2005

Summary

Marine Mammal Protection Act Amendments of 2005 - Amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (the Act) to grant limited authority for a marine mammal product to be exported from the United States, including in cases where an Indian, Aleut, or Eskimo residing in Alaska exports the animal as part of a cultural exchange. Makes it unlawful for anyone under U.S. jurisdiction to release any captive marine mammal unless authorized under the Act. Increases civil fines and criminal penalties, including vessel penalties for violations of the Act. Directs the Secretary of Commerce (currently, the Secretary of the department in which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is operating) to carry out a research and development program to devise fishing methods and gear that reduce the incidental taking of marine mammals. Authorizes the Secretary to establish a gear research mini-grant program for the development of such fishing gear. Applies provisions concerning the incidental taking of marine mammals to all fishing operations (currently, only commercial fishing). Requires take reduction plans to track the number of animals from strategic stocks being incidentally lethally taken or seriously injured each year through recreational fishing (in addition to commercial fishing), and to publish proposals for reducing such incidents within a strategic stock under certain conditions. Requires research on the nonlethal removal and control of nuisance pinnipeds (seals and sea lions), including the development of new technologies to deter such animals. Authorizes the Secretary to provide a grant to an eligible applicant to carry out a qualified nonlethal control project. Directs the Secretary to collect and update existing practices and procedures for rescuing and rehabilitating entangled (currently, only stranded) marine mammals (having gear, rope, line, or net wrapped around it). Authorizes the Secretary to enter into entanglement response agreements. Renews the scrimshaw exemption (allowing the processing and sale of pre-Endangered Species Act ivory) for the 11-year period beginning October 31, 1999.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

No timeline events have been ingested for this record yet.

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.

Documents

6 official files

• Reported in House (text)

  Reported in House · EN · 21 July 2005

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Reported in House (PDF)

  Reported in House · EN · 21 July 2005

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Reported to House without amendment

  summary · EN · 21 July 2005

  Open at official source

• Introduced in House (text)

  Introduced in House · EN · 5 May 2005

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in House (PDF)

  Introduced in House · EN · 5 May 2005

  ViewDownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 5 May 2005

  Open at official source

Sponsors

No sponsors or actors listed by the source.

Related records

No cross-record relationships stored yet.