Brownley Introduces Bill to Protect Marine Mammals from Climate Crisis

Press release from the office of Congresswoman Julia Brownley: June 4, 2021

Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) reintroduced the Marine Mammal Climate Change Protection Act, legislation to better protect marine mammals that are threatened by the climate crisis.

The climate crisis is here and warming waters are already threatening marine ecosystems, disrupting the food chain, and killing marine life. The time to act against these threats is now.   -- Congresswoman Julia Brownley

“For decades, marine mammals have been safeguarded under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act,“ said Congresswoman Julia Brownley. "My bill would update that law to require federal agencies to consider the impacts of the climate crisis on our whales, sea otters, polar bears, manatees, and other marine mammals and help protect them as the effects of the climate crisis worsen.”

“We are very pleased that Congresswoman Brownley has reintroduced the Marine Mammal Climate Change Protection Act,” said Dr. Jeff Boehm, Chief Executive Officer, The Marine Mammal Center. “Climate change is one of the defining issues facing marine mammals and the ocean. It is essential that this bill modernize the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which was created to take an ecosystem approach to marine mammal conservation, and expand it to prepare for the adverse effects of climate change."

Thanks to Congresswoman Brownley’s leadership, we can protect future generations of marine mammals and people from the anticipated effects as climate change accelerates in the coming years.   -- Dr. Jeff Boehm

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