1. United States
2. N.J.
3. Letter

I am a constituent and I strongly oppose the gutting of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. * The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) is a cornerstone of U.S. environmental law and has been a global model for marine conservation. Weakening it would set a dangerous precedent domestically and internationally. * The MMPA has been instrumental in the recovery of several marine mammal populations. On the U.S. West Coast, sea lions, harbor seals, and other pinnipeds have rebounded significantly since the Act’s passage in 1972. This recovery has directly benefited Transient/Bigg’s killer whales (mammal-eating population). Their numbers have steadily increased in recent decades, thanks in large part to the protections and recovery of their prey species under the MMPA. * Marine mammals, including whales, dolphins, sea lions, and seals, play essential roles in the health of marine ecosystems that support fisheries, carbon cycling, and coastal economies across the entire U.S., not just Alaska. * The proposed bill undermines science-based management by requiring unattainable data thresholds before protections can be enacted. This ignores decades of research and opens the door to exploitation, not only harming wildlife but also the communities and future generations that depend on these resources.