Defend the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and Endangered Species Act (ESA)
Why the MMPA and ESA matter
For over 50 years, the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA) have been cornerstone laws of ocean conservation in the United States. Both laws were passed in response to overwhelming public support.
The landmark MMPA law has safeguarded dolphins, whales, porpoises, manatees, seals, sea lions, otters and polar bears. Thanks to the MMPA, not a single marine mammal species has gone extinct in U.S. waters, despite increasing ocean use. It has also helped keep our oceans healthy and created the world’s largest wildlife-watching industry.
Equally as important is the ESA. The ESA protects 743 endangered animals from Snails to Blue Whales! Thanks to the ESA, this law has prevented the extinction of 99% of listed species, helping save icons like the bald eagle and grizzly bear in the United States.
But now, both of these critical laws are under attack.
What is happening to the MMPA?
What is happening to the ESA?
On July 8, 2025, Congressman Nick Begich (R‑AK) introduced a draft amendment to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), the cornerstone U.S. law safeguarding marine mammals since 1972. The proposed changes would:
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Lower protection standards. The current goal of maintaining healthy, thriving populations would be reduced to mere “survival,” risking long-term population declines and more species sliding toward the Endangered Species Act.
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Allow more harm to marine mammals. The bill would weaken safeguards against activities like seismic testing, offshore oil drilling, vessel strikes, and entanglement, putting countless animals at risk, from Florida manatees to Alaskan polar bears to the Southern Resident Killer Whales of the Pacific Northwest.
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Remove limits on marine mammal deaths. The current “biological removal” cap, which ensures sustainable populations, would be dismantled. Most deaths like those from unobserved entanglements, would no longer count.
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Eliminate safeguards against commercial bycatch. Take reduction plans that protect whales, dolphins, and porpoises from being caught and killed in fishing gear would be gutted, putting species like humpback whales, harbor porpoises, and false killer whales in grave danger.
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Delay protections for North Atlantic right whales. With fewer than 400 individuals left, this species cannot survive 10 more years of delay in addressing fishing gear entanglements.
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Weaken global conservation efforts. U.S. standards currently influence how seafood is sourced worldwide. This bill would open the door for imports from nations with harmful, unregulated fishing practices that kill marine mammals.
This amendment prioritizes oil, gas, and industrial interests over the health of our oceans and the survival of marine mammals. It would undo the very protections that have made the MMPA one of the most successful conservation laws in history.
The Trump administration is attacking the Endangered Species Act in unprecedented ways since the passage of our nation’s landmark conservation law. Representative John McClintock of California has introduced the “Endangered Species Transparency and Reasonableness Act of 2025”.
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Proposed amendments would change course on regulatory interpretations relating to the scope of protections for endangered and threatened species and migratory birds.
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Recent proposals aim to redefine what counts as “critical habitat,” gutting the Act’s effectiveness.
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Other attempts would make it easier to remove species from the ESA endangered list before their populations are truly stable, prioritizing industry interests over science.
If enacted, these changes would leave imperilled wildlife even more vulnerable.
Vaquita, credit: NOAA Fisheries
Southern Resident Killer Whale, credit: Rachael Griffin via Getty Images
Take Action
Proposed amendments to both the MMPA and ESA are in the early stages of development. Please take this most opportune time to make your voice heard to defend these vital environmental laws. We must act now to stop this attack on marine mammals! You can help, no matter where you live.
If you live in the United States:
We’re encouraging you to send a handwritten letter to your member of Congress because it’s one of the most powerful and personal ways to make your voice heard. Unlike emails or form submissions, handwritten letters stand out, they show thought, care, and genuine concern, making them more likely to catch the attention of decision-makers.
To make an even greater impact, consider including a piece of artwork with your letter. Whether it’s a drawing, painting, photograph, poem, or digital creation, art has a unique ability to move people and communicate what words alone sometimes can’t. We strongly advocate for the inclusion of creative expression to help your message resonate on a deeper level.
Please write a letter to your U.S. Congressperson and urge them to oppose any amendments weakening the MMPA. Your letter can help protect the Marine Mammal Protection Act by showing your representative that you care deeply about safeguarding marine life.
Suggested talking points to include in your letter:
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The MMPA and ESA are the strongest and most successful environmental laws in U.S. history — serving as a global model for ocean conservation, species protection, and has prevented the extinction of countless marine mammal species.
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Marine mammals and predatory land mammals are keystone species. They maintain the balance of ecosystems that support everything from fisheries and carbon cycling to Indigenous food sovereignty and coastal tourism.
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The proposed bills would gut the MMPA and ESA by weakening the standards that protect marine mammals from “take” (harm, injury, and death) particularly from commercial fishing, oil and gas development, ship strikes, and noise pollution. Additionally, the ESA protects Endangered Species from habitat loss.
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These bills downgrade conservation goals from healthy populations to mere “survival,” opening the door to long-term population declines and extinction.
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Such amendments would also require impossible amounts of data before protections could be enacted, ignoring decades of science and tying the hands of regulatory agencies.
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During a time when species are going extinct faster than any period in human history, the survival of species requires persistence of healthy ecosystems.
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Most at-risk species and ecosystems are already insufficiently protected to prevent further decline and cannot survive without protections by the ESA.
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Marine mammals migrate across oceans and borders. Their decline would have ripple effects on ecosystems, food webs, and coastal communities worldwide, not just in Alaska or the Pacific.
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Healthy marine mammal and many wildlife populations support tourism, research, and fishing economies; industries that depend on living oceans and healthy ecosystems, not short-term industrial exploitation.
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Such proposed drastic changes to the MMPA and ESA would set a dangerous precedent, weakening marine and ecosystem protections not just here, but globally, making it easier to justify harm in future offshore energy and military activity.
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I urge you to oppose this dangerous legislation and defend the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act as they stand.
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Please defend science-based conservation and uphold America’s leadership in marine and all ecosystem stewardship.
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We have a responsibility to future generations to protect marine mammals and their ocean, and all ecosystems we all rely on through the MMPA and ESA as they stand intact.
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The loss of plant and animal species, they say, is not only shortsighted but wrong, especially since an extinct species can never be replaced. Eliminating entire species has been compared to ripping pages out of books that have not yet been read.
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We are accustomed to a rich diversity in nature. This diversity has provided inspiration for countless writers and artists, and all others who treasure variety in the natural world.
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In the first report of its kind, Biodiversity in Focus: United States Edition reveals an alarming conclusion: 34% of plants and 40% of animals are at risk of extinction, and 41% of ecosystems are at risk of range-wide collapse.
Tips for Writing an Effective Handwritten Letter
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Be personal and specific
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Be polite and respectful
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Be clear and concise
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Include your address
Fin Whale painting by Peggy Oki
If you live outside the United States:
Please reach out to friends or family in the United States and ask them to contact their congressperson about this issue. If you don't know anyone in the United States, please consider sharing this action page on social media to help spread awareness.
“Whales play an incredibly crucial role to the health of our oceans and planet, and contribute immeasurably in spirit to those aware of the awe-inspiring grandeur and grace of these magnificent and gentle Beings."