|
Soundings Archive
Sound Committee Report Emphasizes Funding Needs
As previously reported, the Marine Mammal Commission's Advisory Committee on Acoustic Impacts on Marine Mammals ("Sound Committee") meets on September 20-22, 2005, in Bethesda, Maryland. The meeting is open to the public and will accept public comment. More information about the meeting is available at the first link below.
The Sound Committee's Draft Final report is now available online. The Committee will discuss the draft at its meeting and try to agree on a final report. The draft report is long and addresses many complex issues. Based on the draft, the Committee has not reached agreement on all issues. One of the report's conclusions and recommendations should not, however, be controversial.
The draft report stresses the need for additional scientific research on a number of issues regarding the acoustic effects on marine mammals. The draft report also concludes that the National Marine Fisheries Services and the Fish and Wildlife Service ("FWS") do not have sufficient resources to do the difficult regulatory tasks Congress assigned them. The draft report recommends that Congress increase research funding and increase funding to NMFS and FWS.
Congress created the Marine Mammal Commission. The Sound Committee's report goes to Congress. Congress presumably has an interest in protecting marine mammals. The Sound Committee is unquestionably correct in concluding that more government funding for research, for NMFS and for FWS is necessary to achieve Congress' marine mammal goals.
Click here for details on Sound Committee Meeting, the meeting agenda, and the draft Committee report
|
