§1380 Marine mammal research grants

Summary

The Secretary of Commerce can give grants or other money to federal or state agencies, public or private groups, or people to pay for research that helps protect and conserve marine mammals. The Secretary must fund work on new ways to find and catch yellowfin tuna without accidentally catching marine mammals. Each year the Secretary must include the results of this research in the report required under section 1373(f). Any grant must have conditions the Secretary thinks are needed to protect U.S. interests, and the Marine Mammal Commission must review the grant before money is given. No later than 1 year after April 30, 1994, the Secretary of Commerce must hold a Gulf of Maine workshop to study human-caused problems hurting that marine ecosystem and its marine mammals. The workshop must include the Marine Mammal Commission, nearby states, experts, environmental groups, fishing industry reps, and others. It must find the problems and recommend research and management actions that protect marine mammals, keep the ecosystem healthy and stable, preserve future management choices, and allow reasonable, safe development. The Secretary must send a report on the workshop, proposed actions, and any suggested laws to the named House and Senate committees by December 31, 1995. Also, within 180 days after April 30, 1994, the Secretary of Commerce, working with the Secretary of the Interior, the Commission, the State of Alaska, and Alaska Native organizations, must start a scientific program to monitor the Bering Sea ecosystem, study why marine mammals, sea birds, and other resources are declining, follow prior workshop recommendations, include subsistence-use research, do the work in Alaska when possible, use traditional local knowledge, and may hire Alaska Native groups. The results must be reported in the annual reports to Congress required by sections 1373(f) and 1404.