Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 Law and Legal Definition
The 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act established a federal responsibility to conserve marine mammals with management vested in the Department of Interior for sea otter, walrus, polar bear, dugong, and manatee. The department of commerce is responsible for cetaceans and pinnipeds, other than the walrus. The law is considered as a leading instrument for the conservation of these species, and is an international model for such laws.
