CHAPTER XI 



MARINE MAMMALS IN CAPTIVITY 



On 20 September 1979, the Department of Agriculture's 

 Standards and Regulations for the Humane Handling, Care, Treat- 

 ment, and Transportation of Marine Mammals went into effect. 

 These Standards were promulgated by the Department of Agri- 

 culture under the Animal Welfare Act in response to the Commis- 

 sion's recommendations of 20 October 1974. They were the sub- 

 ject of lengthy and extensive correspondence, consultation, and 

 rulemaking, all of which are discussed in the Commission's past 

 Annual Reports. 



The Standards require dealers, exhibitors, operators of 

 auction sales, carriers, and intermediate handlers to comply 

 with minimum standards relating to maintenance and transpor- 

 tation of marine mammals in captivity. The same Standards apply 

 to research facilities as well. All persons or facilities 

 maintaining marine mammals in captivity in the United States, be 

 they for purposes of public display or scientific research, must 

 obtain a license from the Department of Agriculture's Animal and 

 Plant Health Inspection Service and must maintain those marine 

 mammals in compliance with the Standards unless a variance has 

 been obtained to allow a limited time for modification of exist- 

 ing facilities, construction of new facilities, or other actions 

 necessary to achieve full compliance. 



During succeeding years, representatives of the Animal and 

 Plant Health Inspection Service consulted with representatives 

 of the Commission, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the 

 Fish and Wildlife Service, the American Association of Zoologi- 

 cal Parks and Aquaria, and others concerning the practical 

 effects of application of the Standards and the need for 

 changes . 



On 28 June 1984, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

 Service published amendments to the Standards in the Federal 

 Register . Significant areas covered by the final amendments 

 included space requirements for primary enclosures for certain 

 marine mammals, new procedures for the granting of variances, 

 construction requirements for housing marine mammals, require- 

 ments for accompanying pinnipeds during transport, and specifi- 

 cations for holding areas for marine mammals maintained in 

 transportation facilities. 



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