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Marine Mammal Protection Act List of Fisheries

The MMPA requires NOAA Fisheries to publish an annual list of commercial fisheries and classify each fishery based on whether it has frequent (Category I), occasional (Category II), or remote likelihood (Category III) of incidental mortality and serious injury of marine mammals.

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Commercial fishing in the Valdez, Alaska harbor. Commercial fishing in the Valdez, Alaska harbor.
Two humpback whales swimming underwater. The water is very blue, and the surface is visible just above their heads. Humpback whales swimming underwater. Credit: Kogia.org
A Gulf of Mexico Bryde’s whale just under the surface of the water. Photo: NOAA Fisheries NMFS ESA/MMPA Permit No. 21938. A Rice’s whale just under the surface of the water in the Gulf of Mexico. This endangered whale was recognized as a separate species from the Bryde’s whale in 2021. Credit: NOAA Fisheries under NOAA Permit No. 21938.