Report on the Marine Mammal Protection Act and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

An analysis of the United States Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972 reveals its significant success in marine conservation and its direct contributions to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, proposed legislative amendments now threaten to undermine this progress, posing a direct risk to the achievement of these global goals. This report outlines the successes of the MMPA in the context of the SDGs and analyzes the potential negative impacts of the proposed changes.

• The Marine Mammal Protection Act has been instrumental in preventing the extinction of any marine mammal species within U.S. waters since its enactment in 1972.
• The Act’s success aligns directly with key targets under SDG 14 (Life Below Water), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).
• Proposed legislative changes threaten to weaken the Act by restricting scientific data, lowering protection standards, and increasing risks from commercial fishing bycatch.

Legislative Success in Advancing Global Sustainability Targets

SDG 14: Life Below Water

The MMPA is a prime example of effective national policy contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and marine resources. Its implementation has directly supported the targets of SDG 14.

• Target 14.2: Protect and Restore Ecosystems. The Act has facilitated the recovery of numerous marine mammal populations, which are keystone species for healthy marine ecosystems. The resurgence of the elephant seal population in California from fewer than 100 to over 10,000 is a key indicator of success.
• Target 14.5: Conserve Coastal and Marine Areas. By protecting species such as dolphins, whales, seals, and manatees, the Act has effectively helped conserve the biodiversity within their marine habitats. The recovery of the sea otter, once critically endangered, has helped restore kelp forest ecosystems, demonstrating the Act’s broad ecological benefits.
• Target 14.a: Increase Scientific Knowledge. The Act mandates that conservation efforts be based on the best available science, fostering scientific research and data collection essential for managing marine ecosystems sustainably.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The conservation successes driven by the MMPA have generated significant economic benefits, aligning with the principles of sustainable economic growth outlined in SDG 8.

• Target 8.9: Promote Sustainable Tourism. The recovery of marine mammal populations has fueled the growth of a major wildlife-watching industry, providing an economic boon for coastal communities. This form of tourism creates jobs and promotes local economies while depending on the continued health of marine ecosystems, making it a model for sustainable development.

SDG 15: Life on Land

While focused on marine life, the principles of the MMPA support the broader goals of protecting biodiversity as outlined in SDG 15, particularly for species that inhabit both marine and terrestrial environments.

• Target 15.5: Protect Biodiversity and Natural Habitats. The Act’s framework for preventing extinction and restoring populations to sustainable levels is a direct contribution to halting biodiversity loss. Protections for species like polar bears, which rely on both sea ice and coastal land, underscore the Act’s importance to this goal.

Analysis of Proposed Legislation and its Negative Impact on SDGs

Undermining SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on Land)

The proposed legislative amendments contain provisions that would directly counteract the progress made under the MMPA and impede the achievement of critical SDG targets.

1. Lowering Conservation Standards: The proposal seeks to change the conservation goal from achieving an “optimum sustainable population” to merely ensuring the “survival” of a species. This significantly lower bar would allow populations to decline, directly threatening biodiversity and undermining Targets 14.2 and 15.5.
2. Delaying Critical Protections: The legislation would impose a 10-year delay on efforts to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, a species with only around 370 individuals remaining. Such a delay could lead to extinction, representing a catastrophic failure to meet conservation goals.
3. Weakening Bycatch Provisions: The proposed changes would make it more difficult for agencies to regulate the unintentional capture (bycatch) of marine mammals during commercial fishing operations. This would likely lead to increased mortality rates, hindering progress on Target 14.4 (End overfishing and destructive fishing practices).

Weakening SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

The MMPA represents a strong, effective, and science-based institution. The proposed changes threaten to dismantle this framework, contradicting the aims of SDG 16.

• Target 16.6: Develop Effective, Accountable and Transparent Institutions. The proposal to ban the use of crucial scientific data and modeling in decision-making would cripple the evidence-based approach that has made the MMPA successful. Setting artificially tight deadlines for regulatory action would further weaken institutional capacity, undermining conservation efforts for species like the Florida manatee and resident orcas.

Conclusion and Recommendations

The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 stands as a landmark piece of environmental legislation that has successfully advanced the objectives of multiple Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 14. It has proven that robust legal frameworks can effectively restore biodiversity, protect ecosystems, and support sustainable economic development.

• The proposed legislative amendments pose a severe threat to this legacy of success and would represent a significant regression in the United States’ commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
• Weakening the MMPA would jeopardize marine biodiversity, undermine the economic stability of coastal communities reliant on sustainable tourism, and erode a strong, science-based regulatory institution.
• It is imperative that the integrity of the Marine Mammal Protection Act be maintained through continued bipartisan support to ensure that its mission of conservation is upheld for future generations, in alignment with global sustainability commitments.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article primarily addresses issues related to the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• SDG 14: Life Below Water – This is the most central SDG, as the entire article focuses on the protection of marine mammals, the health of ocean ecosystems, and the legislative framework (Marine Mammal Protection Act) designed to conserve marine life.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – The article connects the protection of marine mammals directly to economic benefits, specifically through sustainable tourism and wildlife watching.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions – The article discusses the effectiveness of a specific law (the MMPA) as a strong institution for environmental protection and warns against legislative changes that would weaken it, undermining its ability to function based on scientific evidence and stakeholder input.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s content, the following specific targets can be identified:

1. SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • Target 14.2: “By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts… and take action for their restoration…”
     • Explanation: The article highlights the success of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) in protecting marine species and helping them recover. It states the act helps “keep our oceans productive” and that since its passage, “not a single species has disappeared from American waters.” The proposed legislation threatens this sustainable management.
   • Target 14.4: “By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices…”
     • Explanation: The article specifically discusses the “bycatch” provisions of the MMPA, which “regulate unintentional capture of fish or marine wildlife during fishing operations.” It warns that the proposed bill would weaken these regulations and “make it harder for agencies to limit those losses,” which directly relates to regulating destructive fishing practices.
   • Target 14.5: “By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information.”
     • Explanation: The MMPA itself is a major conservation law. The article emphasizes that its authors recognized that marine mammals thrive when their ecosystem is managed “using the best available science,” which aligns perfectly with the language of this target.
   • Target 14.a: “Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology…”
     • Explanation: The article strongly advocates for decision-making based on “scientific data, rigor and challenge.” It criticizes the proposed legislation because it “would ban the use of crucial data and scientific modeling,” which would directly undermine the goal of increasing and using scientific knowledge for conservation.

2. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.9: “By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products.”
     • Explanation: The article explicitly states that the MMPA “has helped yield the largest wildlife-watching industry on the planet, an economic boon for coastal communities.” It provides a specific example of the recovered elephant seal population, which brings “tens of millions of dollars” into the local economy, demonstrating the link between conservation policy and sustainable tourism.

3. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.6: “Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels.”
     • Explanation: The article describes the MMPA as a “hugely successful law” and an effective institution for protecting wildlife. The debate centers on maintaining the strength of this institution against proposed changes that would weaken its standards and effectiveness, such as setting “a lower bar, just short of extinction.”
   • Target 16.7: “Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.”
     • Explanation: The article mentions that current bycatch management plans are “developed with input from commercial fishermen and other stakeholders.” This points to an inclusive and participatory process that the proposed changes threaten to undermine.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article mentions or implies several indicators:

• Population counts of marine species: The article provides specific numbers that serve as direct indicators of conservation success or failure. For example, the elephant seal population recovered from “fewer than 100” to “10,000 strong,” while the North Atlantic right whale is “down to about 370 individuals.” These numbers measure progress toward Target 14.2.
• Species extinction rate: A key indicator of the MMPA’s success is that “not a single species has disappeared from American waters” since its enactment. This is a clear metric for Target 14.2.
• Economic revenue from sustainable tourism: The article points to the economic value of wildlife watching, citing “tens of millions of dollars” generated by elephant seal tourism. This is a quantitative indicator for Target 8.9.
• Incidence of bycatch: The discussion of bycatch provisions implies that the number of “unintentional capture” and “incidental deaths” of marine mammals in commercial fisheries is a key indicator used to manage and regulate fishing operations, relevant to Target 14.4.
• Use of scientific data in legislation: An implied indicator for Target 14.a and 16.6 is the extent to which policy is based on science. The article contrasts the current law’s reliance on the “best available science” with the proposed bill’s attempt to “ban the use of crucial data and scientific modeling.”

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: usatoday.com