Mast: Marine mammals must be rescued, protected and saved

With more Florida manatees dying during the first three months of 2021 than in all of 2020, U.S. Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) introduced a bipartisan bill that would bolster federal funds for local governments and nonprofit organizations to rescue and rehabilitate sick and injured marine mammals.

“Decades of special-interest driven policy making, including unfettered pollution and toxic discharges from Lake Okeechobee, have destroyed the ecology of our waterways and repeatedly turned the Indian River Lagoon into an algae-infested toxic waterway that kills manatees,” Rep. Mast said, referring to challenges faced in his home state. 

“Sadly, these animals are also the so-called ‘canary in the coal mine’ for a massive public health crisis in our state that must be stopped ASAP,” said the congressman. “This bipartisan legislation will provide federal support for efforts to rescue and rehabilitate these mammals, while also strengthening efforts to stop this destruction before it’s too late.”

Rep. Mast on April 26 cosponsored the Marine Mammal Research and Response Act of 2021, H.R. 2848, with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), which would amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to reauthorize and modify the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program, according to the congressional record bill summary.

If enacted, the bill also would increase research on how to protect and prevent the deaths of marine mammals like manatees, dolphins, seals, and whales.

Specifically, H.R. 2848 would increase funding for two initiatives: the Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program and the Unusual Mortality Event fund, and would create the Joseph R. Geraci Marine Mammal Rescue and Rapid Response Fund, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Mast’s office.

The bill also would establish a Marine Mammal Health Monitoring and Analysis Platform to collect and report more data regarding marine mammal deaths, and would direct the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study marine mammal mortality events, according to the summary.

U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) on April 21 introduced the companion bill, S. 1289, in their chamber.