View all text of Chapter 14 A [§ 917 - § 917d]

§ 917. Congressional findings
The Congress finds that—
(1) whales are a unique resource of great aesthetic and scientific interest to mankind and are a vital part of the marine ecosystem;
(2) whales have been overexploited by man for many years, severely reducing several species and endangering others;
(3) the United States has extended its authority and responsibility to conserve and protect all marine mammals, including whales, out to a two hundred nautical mile limit by enactment of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act [16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.];
(4) the conservation and protection of certain species of whales, including the California gray, bowhead, sperm, and killer whale, are of particular interest to citizens of the United States;
(5) increased ocean activity of all types may threaten the whale stocks found within the two hundred-mile jurisdiction of the United States and added protection of such stocks may be necessary;
(6)
(7) further study of such matters is required in order for the United States to carry out its responsibilities for the conservation and protection of marine mammals.
(Pub. L. 94–532, § 2, Oct. 17, 1976, 90 Stat. 2491; Pub. L. 96–561, title II, § 238(b), Dec. 22, 1980, 94 Stat. 3300; Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(a) [title II, § 211(b)], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009, 3009–41.)