Marine Mammal Protection Act

Federal regulators OK fireworks on California coast

WASHINGTON — Watch out, marine mammals. Here come the California coastal fireworks.

It might be time to split.

Pitting patriotic displays against species protection, federal regulators on Tuesday gave the green light to July Fourth fireworks shows along the San Luis Obispo, Monterey and Santa Cruz county coasts.

The pyrotechnics are popular among audiences, bothersome for harbor seals and California sea lions and proof of how National Marine Fisheries Service officials can hold the key to coastal use.

"Some folks push back," Monica DeAngelis, a marine biologist with the federal agency's Long Beach office, said of the permit negotiations, "but there's give and take, and everybody generally leaves the table satisfied."

Potentially, officials estimate, 6,170 California sea lions and 1,065 harbor seals might be bothered by the fireworks' noise and fallout. None are expected to be killed or injured.

Still, the disturbances are serious enough to count as "harassment" under federal environmental law. Harassment means "any act of torment, pursuit or annoyance" that can disrupt animal behavior. It's a no-no.

In particular, past fireworks have temporarily driven marine mammals away from their favorite haul-out sites, where they lounge around and forage.

"The loud sound bursts and pressure waves created by the exploding shells appear to cause more wildlife disturbance than the illumination effects," a 2002 federal study noted. "As the fireworks presentation progresses, most marine mammals and birds generally evacuate the impact area."

Because of when they occur, the approved fireworks displays do not disturb the marine mammal breeding that also occurs at haul-out sites.

A separate study conducted for the Walt Disney Corp. found that Florida fireworks displays left detectable but negligible and apparently harmless amounts of barium, strontium and antimony in nearby waterways.

In theory, fireworks operators or anybody else engaged in potentially disruptive coastal business could charge ahead without a permit. The problem, DeAngelis said, is that "then there's a risk of breaking the law" if protected mammals are harassed.

The 20 fireworks displays authorized Tuesday will range along the California coast from Santa Cruz in the north to Cambria in the south. The fireworks over Moonstone Beach at Cambria's Shamel Park, for instance, are estimated as likely to bother about 50 California sea lions and 60 harbor seals.

Save the manatees!: the217.com

Everyone has heard of the “Save the Whales” campaign. Now, for all you earth-conscious folks out there, the Save the Manatees Club (SMC) is stepping up its efforts to bring awareness to the plight of these adorable, veggie-munching critters. SMC has come out with a new generic manatee adoption PSA, and we’ve got the lowdown.

Manatees have been in existence for quite some time now. These large, gray, aquatic mammals — also known as sea cows — have enjoyed their slow lifestyle of eating, resting and traveling for millions of years. However, with the arrival of boats, the largest known cause of manatee deaths, these animals have been labeled as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

These laid-back creatures exist in small populations around the world, but the largest population by far is found in Florida waters. There is a high number of human-related mortality for manatees, including being crushed or drowned (They’re mammals. They need air!) by flood gates or ingesting fish lines and hooks. According to the SMC website, “there is a minimum population count of 4,480 manatees, as of January 2011.” SMC serves to protect this endangered species as well as to support research efforts around the world.

In particular, the adopt-a-manatee program seeks to bring awareness to the public by pairing people up with a real manatee that adopters can visit in one of three locations in Florida. In addition to public awareness, advocacy and education, SMC uses the funds for manatee rescue, rehabilitation, research efforts and legal action.

West Indian manatees are currently protected under federal law in the United States. The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978 make it illegal to harass, hunt, capture or kill any marine mammal.

Interested parties can proceed on this adoption process by selecting a manatee from SMC’s website for $25, filling out some personal information and then selecting a category of membership. Membership starts at $25 and goes up according to dedication.

For those who might not be interested in donating, SMC also uses volunteers for office work, presentations and other manatee-related events.

Marine Mammal Protection Act, reauthorization issues for the 106th Congress

Marine mammal protection act, hearings before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, Ninety-fifth Congress, first session ... February 9 and 11, 1977

The Marine Mammal Protection Act, reauthorization issues

The Marine Mammal Protection Act, reauthorization issues

Marine Mammal Protection Act, hearing before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, Ninety-fifth Congress, first session on oversight into the Marine Mammal Protection Act Act, February 9 and 11, 1977