Passed in 1972, this landmark piece of legislation has helped protect our dolphins, whales, manatees, sea otters, and other marine mammals from harm. It's so effective that not a single species has disappeared from our waters, even as Americans have ramped up our use of the ocean.
By protecting marine mammals from extinction, the MMPA also protects the myriad benefits they offer—keeping our coasts and oceans productive, bolstering coastal economies, and supporting the stability of marine ecosystems.