The West Coast Region closely evaluates the impacts of fisheries activities on marine mammals and develops and implements measures to minimize effects.
NOAA Fisheries is responsible for managing the impacts of commercial and recreational fisheries on marine mammals under the authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, and the Magnuson-Stevens Act. There are programs and policies in place to monitor the amount of marine mammal bycatch that occurs in fisheries and to minimize impacts to populations when conservation concerns may be warranted. These programs address fisheries and conservation issues that involve fishing operations and marine mammals throughout U.S. and international waters. NOAA Fisheries also studies and manages the impacts of fishing on the health and behavior of marine mammals through various regulatory and conservation actions.
Interactions between fisheries and marine mammals include:
The bycatch of marine mammals can occur:
To report a dead, injured, or stranded marine mammal:
To report entangled marine mammals:
To report harassments and other violations to law enforcement:
NOAA Enforcement Hotline: 1-800-853-1964
To report derelict gear:
Derelict Gear Hotline: 1-855-542-3935
Please be advised: In recognition of logistical challenges with certificate issuance related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the MMAP certificate issued in 2020 remains in effect, valid through December 31, 2022, for vessel or gear owners participating in all Category I and II fisheries as of the final 2022 LOF. 2020 certificates may be retained or replacements downloaded below.
Southern Resident killer whales encountered during NOAA's PODs (Pacific Orcinus Distribution Survey) in October 2021 near the west end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
Tidal wetlands in the Nisqually River Basin, where restored habitat fosters growth of juvenile salmon and steelhead on their way to the ocean.
