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MMPA we authorized the New England Aquarium to assume custody and 

 responsibility for the care and maintenance of these abandoned 

 marine mammals. Although this willingness on the part of the New 

 England Aquarium to assume custody of these marine mammals 

 addressed the immediate problem of their care and maintenance, 

 the much more difficult problem was their placement at other 

 acceptable facilities and the cost in both space and time of 

 their care until such placement could be arranged. 



Although these sea lions and harbor seals were eventually placed 

 at other facilities, it took several months of dedicated effort 

 by our Regional staff, the staff of the New England Aquarium, and 

 our permits office to find facilities willing to accept them -- 

 during the last stages of this effort the American Association of 

 Zoos and Aquariums and the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and 

 Aquariums also assisted in this several month effort to identify 

 facilities that would be willing to accept custody of these 

 animals. The New England Aquarium incurred over $100,000 in 

 personnel and captive maintenance costs in the care and transport 

 of these abandoned animals. We are aware of the extent of these 

 costs because, even though there have never been Federal 

 appropriations to cover such costs, we received invoices from the 

 New England Aquarium itemizing their expenses . 



This is only one of several instances that point out one of the 

 more significant growing problems of the public display industry 



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