S.20.3-17: Preserve our Marine Life Act (Law'd)

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Banning whaling wholesale, explicitly or not, strikes me as unnecessary as whales are a highly diverse collection of species which are of various status in terms of actual danger. I certainly don't favor allowing the whaling of endangered whales species in the South but some whales species are in fact even least-concern.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Regardless of whatever provisions exist in regards to whaling though, we need to make sure we have a strongly enforced permit system if it is not banned. I'm not against hefty fines for those caught violating the law here.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

One question I have: why only specifically cetaceans? While a few seals do exist off the northeastern and eastern coasts of the region, and whales do exists along our Atlantic coast, why specifically cetaceans? Is it because they're cuter or something? I'm all for animal conservation, and I'm also all for protecting marine animals in Dixie, but while this bill does raise a good point, I don't particularly like the execution. It's too broad to protect any individual animal specifically to its needs, and too narrow to include all of the creatures who don't belong to this particular infraorder.

Even one set of rules for whales and another for fish would be highly off-base because both are extremely variable in terms of actual status. Whale and fish are huge umbrella groups, not species.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Could the direct mention of whaling in Section 1 be struck from the bill altogether?

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Preserve our Cetaceans Act

1. Sealing and the sale of products produced in the past 30 years through sealing is prohibited. Violators shall be fined up to $100,000 for sale and up to $500,000 for sealing.

2. The taking of cetaceans by any person in Southern waters for purposes not authorized by the Southern government is prohibited. Permits shall only be authorized for scientific research, for enhancing the survival or recovery of a marine mammal species, or temporary educational photography purposes. Violators shall be fined up to $500,000. This clause does not apply to incidental take during commercial activities.

3. Commercial gill netting in oceanic waters is prohibited. Drift nets longer than 2.5km are prohibited. All drift nets are required to be made from biodegradable materials and incorporate pingers in sufficient quantities. Violators shall be fined up to $100,000.

4. All ships engaged in midwater trawling must include a device to exclude cetaceans or allow them to escape, such as a Nordmore grate. Violators shall be fined up to $50,000.

5. All ships engaged in purse seine fishing are required to incorporate Medina panels into their nets and engage in backing-down procedures. Violators shall be fined up to $50,000.

6. All appropriate regulatory agencies are directed to consider marine life safety as a major objective and to shift and narrow maritime traffic separation schemes as appropriate, including outright avoidance of key areas, and are further directed to consider the impact of oceanic noise created by commercial shipping and mineral exploration on such regulations.

7. Power plants that discharge water that has been used by the plant with no significant alterations save temperature are directed to prevent any undue restrictions to access to their discharge canals by marine life.

8. All commercial operations that operate to observe marine life their native habitat are directed to maintain no more than a no wake speed when knowingly operating within 500 feet of a cetacean, and may not pursue, encircle, or come in between the members of a pod, make unnecessary sudden turns, make excessive noise, or approach such animals at an angle by which they would be taken by surprise. These operations also may not allow swimming with these cetaceans or coerce cetaceans into bow-riding. Violators shall be fined up to $25,000 per offense.