Title 16 — ConservationRelease 119-73not60
§917 Congressional Findings
Title 16 › Chapter 14A— WHALE CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION › § 917
Summary
Congress says whales are special and important to people and to the ocean. People have hunted many whales too much, and some species are now very low or at risk. The United States must protect marine mammals, including whales, out to a 200‑nautical‑mile limit under the Magnuson‑Stevens Act. It calls out the California gray, bowhead, sperm, and killer whales as especially important, warns that more ocean activity can harm whales there, and says we need more study of their habitats, numbers, and needs.
Full Legal Text
Title 16, §917
Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
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)there is inadequate knowledge of the ecology, habitat, requirements, and population levels and dynamics of all whales found in waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States; and
(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.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, referred to in par. (3), is Pub. L. 94–265, Apr. 13, 1976, 90 Stat. 331, which is classified principally to chapter 38 (§ 1801 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 1801 of this title and Tables.
Amendments
1996—Par. (3). Pub. L. 104–208 substituted “Magnuson-Stevens Fishery” for “Magnuson Fishery”. 1980—Par. (3). Pub. L. 96–561 substituted “Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act” for “Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1996 Amendment Pub. L. 104–208, div. A, title I, § 101(a) [title II, § 211(b)], Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009, 3009–41, provided that the amendment made by that section is effective 15 days after Oct. 11, 1996.
Effective Date
of 1980 Amendment Pub. L. 96–561, title II, § 238(b), Dec. 22, 1980, 94 Stat. 3300, provided that the amendment made by that section is effective 15 days after Dec. 22, 1980.
Short Title
Pub. L. 94–532, § 1, Oct. 17, 1976, 90 Stat. 2491, provided: “That this Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Whale Conservation and Protection Study Act’.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
16 U.S.C. § 917
Title 16 — Conservation
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60