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display industry itself. However, where, for one reason or 

 another, the health and welfare of captive marine mammals falls 

 through the cracks, these marine mammals must be protected by the 

 regulating agency under the MMPA, whether it is NMFS or APHIS. 



Marine Mammal s in the Wild 



As for activities involving marine mammals in the wild, we 

 believe that some changes in the law are necessary. 



The scientific study of marine mammals is an important source of 

 information on these protected species. And, I can tell you from 

 repeated first-hand experience, that many marine mammal 

 scientists believe there is something wrong with a law that 

 requires them to go through an application, public notice, and 

 review process to get a permit, while this same law allows 

 commercial fisherman to incidentally take marine mammals under a 

 simple registration procedure. This perception that marine 

 mammal research is being regulated unfairly is reinforced when 

 the question is raised, "Which of these activities, commercial 

 fishing or marine mammal research, is more likely to benefit 

 marine mammals?" 



At present, scientific research that involves only non-intrusive 

 close approach must meet the same permit requirements as apply to 

 more intrusive research. Applying these same permit requirements 



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