Podcasts about marine mammal protection act

On this episode of Free Range, host Mike Livermore is joined by Natalie Jacewicz, a professor at the University of San Diego School of Law. Livermore and Jacewicz discuss here forthcoming paper, "Crafting a New Conservationism." In that paper, Jacewicz examines a fundamental tension in environmental law: the conflict between protecting ecological collectives like species and ecosystems, and safeguarding individual animals. Through analysis of over one hundred National Environmental Policy Act documents, she reveals how federal agencies navigate competing mandates when implementing wildlife management programs. The discussion explores how marquee conservation statutes, including the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, contain dual commitments to both collective and individual animal protection, yet provide little guidance for resolving conflicts between these goals. Jacewicz identifies systematic inconsistencies in how agencies approach these tensions, ranging from complete disregard for individual animals to positive duties of care. The conversation concludes by examining potential frameworks for incorporating animal welfare concerns into conservation policy more systematically.

In this episode of the Aptitude Outdoors Podcast, we dive into the landmark legislation that transformed marine conservation—the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. This crucial law, passed in response to the rapid decline of marine mammal populations, protected whales, dolphins, seals, and more from overexploitation. Learn about the critical battles waged between conservationists and commercial industries and the dedicated efforts of scientists and lawmakers that made the Act a reality. We'll explore the key figures behind the MMPA, like Dr. Roger Payne, whose groundbreaking research on whale communication helped ignite public support for marine mammal protection. This episode also sheds light on the pushback from commercial fishing and oil industries, and how bipartisan cooperation and growing environmental awareness ultimately led to the Act's success. As we reflect on the legacy of the MMPA, we also discuss the ongoing challenges that marine mammals face, from bycatch in commercial fisheries to the looming threats of climate change and habitat loss. Tune in to hear how this Act shaped modern conservation efforts and what the future holds for marine wildlife protection. Learn more at www.aptitudeoutdoors.com 

In this episode of the Aptitude Outdoors Podcast, we dive into the remarkable return of seals to the coastlines of Cape Cod. Once nearly driven to extinction due to overhunting and human conflict, harbor and gray seals have made a triumphant comeback thanks to vital conservation efforts like the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. We explore the history behind the near-extinction of these marine mammals, the pivotal laws that saved them, and how their resurgence is reshaping the coastal ecosystem. As seal populations have rebounded, they've attracted the return of another iconic predator: the great white shark. Cape Cod's waters, now teeming with life, have become a hotspot for shark sightings, sparking both excitement and concern among residents and visitors. In this episode, we discuss the critical role seals play in the marine ecosystem and how their presence supports the natural food chain, including the resurgence of sharks. We also highlight the work of the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, an organization committed to protecting these apex predators while educating the public on their importance. From shark tagging to the Sharktivity app, the conservancy's efforts balance conservation with public safety, ensuring a sustainable future for both seals and sharks in Cape Cod's waters. Tune in for a deep dive into the intricate relationships between these animals and their environment.

Steven Rinella talks with Heather Douville and Seth Morris. Topics discussed: How to pronounce Tlingit; setting halibut hooks in competitive pairs of two; drying fish over spruce sticks; putting good energy into what you're doing; “do the best you can, your friend is coming to fight you”; salmon as a part of a way of life; only take what you need even if the law says you can take more; wearing seal; the sea otter fur trade; Heather's small business, Coastal Fur and Leather; how sea otters eat 25% of their body weight in seafood a day; how there's more hair on one square inch of a sea otter than there is on an entire German shepherd; soft gold; shooting off hand out of the boat; supporting the cause; restrictions under the Marine Mammal Protection Act; how kids are sacred; get Heather's handmade fur items here; and more. Outro song: "The World To Me" by Jared Hicks  Connect with Steve and The MeatEater Podcast Network Steve on Instagram and Twitter MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steven Rinella talks with Chris Denny, Charlotte Crosmer, Ryan Callaghan, Tony Peterson, Randall Williams, Chester Floyd, Austin "Chilly Chleborad," Phil Taylor, and Corinne Schneider.  Topics discussed: Please support Chris Denny's new album HERE; a terrible duck hunting accident; Steve's favorite song, “Ride On” by Chris and his album, "If the Roses Don't Kill Us"; cautionary tales about drinking; why you shouldn't trade the first shotgun you ever bought yourself for a guitar; Koe Wetzel lickin' his finger; Tony Peterson's note on why you need to stop believing you live in a big buck black hole; animal moms attacking Coloradans; the Makah tribe finally gets a waiver under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to exercise their treaty right to hunt grey whales again; how JT Van Zandt used to be Chris Denny's manager; life is forgiving and time heals; the ace up his sleeve; too much hiking for the poodle; vulnerable talk about addiction and recovery; having masters degrees in chamber music and violin; a live performance; how to contribute to Chris' kickstarter campaign; and more. Connect with Steve and The MeatEater Podcast Network Steve on Instagram and Twitter MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YoutubeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL CONGRESSMAN:    https://www.boatingunited.org/take-action/congress-protect-boaters-speed-restrictions/?   Summary   In this conversation, Katie C. Sawyer and John DePersenaire discuss the proposed rule for the North Atlantic right whale situation and its implications for boaters and seaboard communities. They highlight the importance of speed for recreational fishermen and the economic impact of the proposed rule. They also emphasize the need for collaboration and the use of technology to address the issue. The regulatory process and timeline are also discussed. The conversation discusses the dual path process of rulemaking, with an interagency review and a public side. The role of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) is explained, along with the challenges of the public not being aware of any changes made to the rule. The formation and work of the Whale and Vessel Safety Task Force is highlighted. The current stage of the rule being in OIRA's hands is discussed, along with the strategy for the ongoing public comment period. The involvement of the Small Business Administration and the importance of a comprehensive approach are emphasized. The potential of recreational anglers as an untapped resource is mentioned, and a call to action is made to reach out to local congressmen and participate in the Boating United action alert.   Takeaways   The proposed rule for the North Atlantic right whale situation has significant implications for fishermen, including economic impact and access to fisheries. Speed is essential for fishermen to reach fishing grounds and maximize their trips, and the proposed rule would greatly restrict their ability to do so. Collaboration and the use of technology, such as artificial intelligence and marine electronics, can help reduce the risk of vessel strikes on whales. The regulatory process for the proposed rule involves public comments and review by various agencies, with the final decision taking into account economic impacts and other factors. The rulemaking process involves both an interagency review and a public side, with the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) playing a key role. The public is not made aware of any changes made to the rule during the interagency review, creating uncertainty. The Whale and Vessel Safety Task Force is working on a comprehensive approach to reduce vessel strike risk and protect North Atlantic right whales. The current stage of the rule is in OIRA's hands, and there is an ongoing public comment period.a The involvement of the Small Business Administration and the need for a balanced approach that considers both industry needs and whale protection are important. Recreational anglers have the potential to contribute valuable information and technology to mitigate the risk of vessel strikes.   Transcript   Katie (01:42.718) What's up, you guys? Welcome to the Katie C. Sawyer podcast. I'm sitting down with John DePerson here today. John, tell us a little bit about yourself and who you are. John DePersenaire (02:26.149) Yeah, sure. Thank you, Katie. And thanks for having me on. So my name is John DePersonere and I'm the Director of Government Affairs. So that's a really broad title and it really encompasses a lot of different aspects of my portfolio of work. So obviously things like regulatory issues, government affairs issues, things that have to do with either regulatory or legislation that impacts us as a manufacturer in the marine industry, but also how our customers use the boats. So like fisheries management, that's all really important part of that. as well, but also then on the sustainability side, looking at things like efficiency, looking at our energy use, looking at our waste stream, all those sort of things, supporting efforts to support fish habitat and some other projects that we're doing. So it's a really broad scope of work and it's really, really interesting. Katie (03:23.458) That's awesome. That's a huge responsibility on your end. And like you said, broad. Before I started fishing, I was working, not even close, but I was working as director of environmental health and safety for an oil and gas company. And it's just like there's like this entire channel of products that you're supposed to manage. And you're like, I like this is so, so broad. But that's amazing. I'm really, really honored to be sitting with you here today. Thank you so much for giving your time. I really want to jump into what's going on. on right now with the North Atlantic right whale situation and the proposed rule that was set forth in August of 2022 and how that's affected us and what we can see moving forward. So can you just give us a little bit of a status on what's going on with the right whales and what the what rule was proposed as a reaction of that? John DePersenaire (04:17.536) Yeah, so, you know, this is an issue the industry has really been following carefully for the past year and a half now. And as you said, you know, this proposed rule came out in August of 2022, and it was driven by NOAA. So NOAA has a an office within it's called the Office of Protective Resources. And their job is to carry out and implement. the mandates of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. So with North Atlantic right whales, they are, there's no question that they are in pretty serious, dire concern in terms of a population size. And just, you know, recognizing the history of that species, it really was one of the targeted, most targeted species in commercial whaling for centuries, which really- drove down the population, but also imposed some sort of ecological constraints, which just made it much harder to rebuild when commercial whaling stops. So like when you fish a, or not even fish, but when you hunt a population down that low, you start to have genetic issues. And we see that like with, you know, upland hunting and things like that, you try to manage for a strong gene stock. And so that was one of the constraints. So that like, you know, if you look at reproductive output for North Atlantic right whales, it has been trailing off. And so it just makes it that much harder to rebuild. So they know the two main sources of mortality for North Atlantic right whales are entanglement with fishing gear, mostly lobster pots up in Massachusetts and North and also up in Canada where they spend their summers and vessel strikes. And so NOAA has been trying to... up with management measures that addressed those two sources of mortality. And so the rule that came out in August, that was directed towards the latter, that was directed towards reducing risk of vessel strikes. And what that did was it expanded upon an existing rule that was in place starting in 2008. And what it did was it dropped the size class of vessel that would be subject to vessel speed rules. It expanded the areas that would be subject to the seasonal management areas. John DePersenaire (06:39.036) And it also expanded the vessels. So it dropped it down from 65 and above down to 35 feet and above. And so what that really did was originally the 2008 rule was really focused more on the ocean-going vessels, so like the container ships, the tankers, some of those really high displacement, high tonnage boats. It also captured some of the recreational fleet as well. but the intent was really the bigger ocean growing vessels. And so this step now starts to bring in a massively different segment of the fleet now. And you're starting to bring in center consoles and a whole bunch of boats that have probably never even seen a North Atlantic right whale. And so this is all about reducing risk. And this is what is somewhat different than what we typically deal with fisheries management. Katie, I know you're really versed on highly migratory species, you know, and so a lot of times we're dealing with, you know, quota setting and, you know, really specific percent reductions, trying to get to a sustainable biomass and things like that. So we can tailor regulations based on that percent reduction we have to achieve. This is a little bit more nebulous in the sense that we don't actually have that number that we need to reduce risk by. And so that's a really challenging thing. for us to look at. And so we're just not versed in trying to figure out how we come up with a solution to that. And so when we first saw the rule, we're like, oh my God, this is gonna impact a vast number of boats. For a lot of people, it's gonna go into effect November 1st and last through the end of May. So those are really, really important times of year for up and down the coast now. I mean, as you know, like we have some of the best tuna fishing off of... New York and New Jersey now in November and December, which is crazy to think, but I mean, it's just, those are no longer months when people have their boat out of the water and up on the hard for the winter. It's, you know, we're fishing all the way through January. And so that becomes a real, real big impact. Also guys that move their boats from say our area down to South Florida in the fall, you know, they're gonna be subject to this. And so what, you know, typically is a... John DePersenaire (09:02.128) know, two, three day trip now becomes something massively different when you're going 10 knots. And so there's all sort of implications that we have to think about in terms of impacts of this. But one of our biggest criticisms was obviously, you know, a recreational boat hitting a North Atlantic right whale is an extremely rare instance. In fact, we have some third party analysis that really shows that it is like that one in a million chance. I mean, that really is numbers of boats and the numbers of strikes that are attributed to those boats under 65 feet. But the other thing that we were we were sort of upset about was that there was really no alternative in there that took into consideration technology, right? And so, you know, Katie, I know you've run boats for a long time and, you know, boats are constantly improving it. And so for, you know, every time you come out with a new model, it's always safer than the last model. And that's just a function of, you know, engineering, design, improvements in marine electronics. And so safety is just one of those key elements when you're building boats, you know, safety, efficiency, performance, amenities are sort of like the top four things, right? And so a big part of safety is collision avoidance. Like, and we don't want to hit anything that's on the water. I mean, you know, like, Katie (10:29.37) I think what a lot of people don't understand is that a vessel between 35-65 foot, if it hits a whale, we know and there's gonna be damage. There's gonna be significant damage to the vessel and like you said, potentially the safety of the people on board. That's a really good point. John DePersenaire (10:47.82) Yeah, so I mean, the point is, is that, you know, this is a space that, you know, we and other builders and the whole marine industry are constantly working on. It's not like we just heard about this rule and like, now let's figure out something to do here to not hit whales. Like this is just something we do and not to put it in a in-person way, but a North Atlantic right whale is just another object in the water that we do not want to hit. And we have been developing products over these years that allows us not to hit them at a reduced rate. So. We've been making progress on this and we were, it was unfortunate that there were no alternatives that kind of gave us credit for that or provided an opportunity to explore how technology can reduce risk. So, of course. Katie (11:31.502) I'm going to stop you right there before you go on because this is a great segue. The first thing I want to touch on is you said a couple things throughout that were interesting points. So from what I understand, correct me if I'm wrong, in 2008 there were speed reduction zones put in place in the Atlantic Northwest of the ocean, Atlantic Northwest, Northeast of the U.S. That always gets confusing for me. Where speed reduction zones for ships above 65 foot. length. Is that correct? John DePersenaire (12:03.6) That is correct. And most of those areas were around sort of the entrances to major courts. So like the approach to New York Harbor, Delaware Bay, Chesapeake Bay, Cape Fear. Then there was also areas south of Cape Hatteras where there are seasonal nursing areas and calving areas. So like where the mother and the calf are spending a lot of time down there in the winter time. And they are vulnerable down there, there's no question. Katie (12:29.118) Yeah, for sure. And it's specific in areas where you see a lot of cargo ships coming through because it's significant to global trade and economy. Now, can you tell us a little bit about how, if there was any impact on our economy based on the speed reduction zones for vessels of that size? John DePersenaire (12:49.304) Yeah, I mean, you know, one thing that's been interesting about this rule is it sort of brought a lot of different sectors together that typically didn't work on, you know, issues together. And so one of those, well, a couple of those sectors were pilots, you know, fast ferries, the shipping interests, the ports, and, you know, so offshore wind, you know, they all have really big concerns and they... speculate it's going to have implications not only for their operational needs, but also you think about just getting product to shelves. Does that impact supply chain issues? Does that impact availability of products? Does that impact cost to the consumer? So all those sort of things are playing into this and they certainly have implications that are not discrete to recreational fishing and boating, this is something that would impact a significantly broad part of the maritime commerce in general. Katie (13:56.398) Mm-hmm. But, okay, let's talk about how you said it's difficult, I believe, I think you said that it's difficult to quantify the population of whales right now. Do we know how long it takes for them to reproduce and they have how many, they have one pup, I think it's a pup, right, a whale? I'm not sure, one baby, a calf, that's right. A calf at a time, correct? And every now and then too, but like you were saying, John DePersenaire (14:18.835) Cheers. Katie (14:27.912) significantly decreased base to overfishing or over harvesting. So in the past, way years ago. So I just want to like really clear up the blurry areas of the last 15 years of regulation to help protect these Atlantic right whales. Is that what you said? Is it the population's difficult to quantify? John DePersenaire (14:53.912) Well, it's not typically challenging to quantify it. And in fact, North Atlantic right whales are probably one of the most studied and monitored large marine mammal populations in the world. I mean, that's a fact. What I think difficult is that, again, we're not seeing reproductive output that would sort of get us to that number that they believe it needs to be at to be considered sustainable. And so, like, for example, I'm not a North Atlantic right whale biologist, so I don't know the exact numbers in terms of, you know, their gestation period and how, you know, their sort of calving cycle. But I do know from a management standpoint, the agency is sort of looking for 50 calves a year to, for many years to get the population to a sustainable level. And if you look at reproductive output over the past, you know, 10 years, I don't think we've gotten to 50 once, you know. So it's sort of underperforming and there's a lot of reasons for that. You know, genetic issues are one, the population size is small, so it's harder for them to communicate and find the mates. You know, there's things happening with climate change and their food source, you know, they're really dependent on copepods and, you know, they're not sort of like a humpback that can, you know, switch from, you know, herring to bunker to, you know, anchovy, you know, like, you know, they're really discreet feeders and they are really keyed in on copepods. And so their availability of copepods is somewhat changing and perhaps putting them in more areas where they're vulnerable to things like ship strikes. So there's a lot of challenges that are happening there. Katie (16:37.45) Yes, excellent answer. I love it. So what we're seeing is we're trying to, well, Noah put forth a rule, a proposed rule to try and limit the speed of vessels to help protect these whales, but there's lots of potential issues associated with that. Now you mentioned taking into... Now, you mentioned taking into account technology. Can you go on that a little bit for me? John DePersenaire (17:07.936) Yeah, so, you know, and I think it's important, maybe your audience, it's not really important, but yeah, I know for some people involved with this issue, this is important, and they don't quite understand this, that for us, speed is an essential element of our boats, right? Not only is it, you know, safer, you know, to run a boat when it's, you know, operating at a, you know, at the most optimal speed. But for us, we're not necessarily designed to be out in weather that a container ship can be out in. And so speed allows us to maximize on these weather windows of opportunity, right? And so if we are trying to get to fishing grounds and it takes us say two hours to get out there, we can conduct our trip and get back before that weather turns and makes it unsafe out there. If we are now forced to, you know, to have that two hour trip now become six hours to get out to wherever those grounds are, that could put us in a unsafe situation or we just canceled the trip altogether because the weather window was not big enough. So speed is one of those things and just everything about our vessels is designed around performance, speed and range. And that's really the only way recreational guys can access the fisheries. I mean, we are not... commercial fishermen where we can go out, you know, 10 days at a time and, you know, say goodbye to the family and say, Hey, I'm going marlin fishing. I'll be back in 10 days. Maybe some people can do that, but you know, it's a different, it's a different element for us, you know? And so speed is, is it's not something we can dismiss and say, well, you guys can just go slow and still carry on your way. Like it doesn't work that way. Speed is an essential element of our boats. Katie (18:42.37) Yeah. Katie (18:54.002) And why is it important for these fishermen to be able to get out to the fishing grounds instead of canceling their trip when there's weather? Like tell us about the economic benefits of that. John DePersenaire (19:02.964) Oh, I mean, yeah, I mean, so well, I mean, it's well, first of all, it's it drives a significant economic impact. I mean, so just from Viking standpoint, I mean, this is a really prime example. You know, we're the leader of the world leader in terms of building sport fish boats. You know, we produce the most in the world and our boats are really designed exactly to go far and fast and engage the highly migratory species. And so if you take away our ability to. to go fast and access the fish that our boats are designed to do. I mean, the value of that goes down significantly, you know. And so, you know, we have over 2,000 employees that are just building boats to go fast and offshore. I mean, that's exactly what we have a workforce that's doing every day, you know, and that includes electronics folks and everything. So the impact is it just cannot be understated more. And I think what was so alarming in Katie (19:49.055) locally. John DePersenaire (20:03.46) the proposed rule in terms of the cost benefit analysis that NOAA put together, they did not understand that trips would be canceled and people wouldn't even take trips under a 10 knot limit. And so yeah, and this is the other thing that's really important. So it's not like these areas are going to be really, you know, discrete like they were in 2008 and they were around just, you know, entrances to inlets and ports and things like that. know, in some cases, like in the Middle Atlantic, they're going offshore 90, 100 miles, you know, and so, you know, it's hard to imagine even going 20 or 30 miles at 10 knots in a recreational boat. I mean, it's just, it's hard to imagine that. And I just know that would just drive people not to do it. Their boats would come out, you know, December or October 31st, they wouldn't go back in until June 1st, and, you know, you're missing a massive amount of economic activity for that. Katie (20:42.614) No, it's... John DePersenaire (20:57.268) And also, I mean, you're really denying a lot of people access to fisheries. So, you know, I know you're a big, you know, HMS fisherman. And so that's one of those fisheries where only the public can only access that through a boat. Like, so the HMS permit that everyone gets that goes out in Marlin and tuna fishes, you know, that's assigned to a vessel. It's not like you can fish for them from shore. It's just illegal to do that, quite frankly, which is an interesting discussion all in itself. But. Katie (20:57.364) Yeah. Katie (21:21.751) Yeah. John DePersenaire (21:25.42) So you have to go out on either your own boat, your friend's boat, a charter boat, a headboat, you know? And so when you start to think about how this would impact those boats, you almost become, it almost becomes an obstacle for the public to access those fisheries, which are really economically valuable, sustainably managed and really good eating, you know, for some of them, not marlin, of course. Katie (21:47.074) Mm-hmm. Yep. No. Yeah. John DePersenaire (21:50.36) But you know what I mean, so it becomes this impediment for the public to access a well-managed resource. And I think that's like a really unintended consequence that they didn't quite think about when they put this into place. Katie (22:02.166) Right, definitely. Because, I mean, it's not just, like you said, it's not just all the jobs that would be at risk at Viking. It's all of these seaboard communities that depend on the tourism, that depend on people wanting to go offshore and go fishing recreationally. Didn't you tell me, John, that you did a impact study on one specific operation and the amount of economic loss that company would had was just exponential? What was that? John DePersenaire (22:30.188) Yeah, so that's a tour boat captain out of North Jersey. And his specialty is getting folks out, particularly in the fall, to chase striped bass and tuna. And he's built a great business on that. He's got several captains, quite a few mates. He's got three boats. And just looking at his operation between the times that this rule would be in effect between November 1st and the end of May. He was looking at losing 70 trips. And so that was roughly working out to $140,000 a year, just for him. And it's not just him as the owner operator, but his mates, the other captains that run that boat, the people that detail and service his boat, the people he buys the bait from. It's just that you talked about, yeah, the marina where, I mean, all that shoreside infrastructure that supports the recreational fishery and commercial fishery would be impacted. Katie (23:09.567) Yeah. Katie (23:17.226) The Marina. All the support. Katie (23:28.09) Yeah. And then you have situations like, for example, the White Marlin Open in Ocean City, where I mean, it's not really in the zone, but you have I'm sorry, not really in the time frame, but you have so many people coming to these communities and it's quantifiable millions of dollars being brought into these communities just so that people can be a part of the recreational fishing sector. Like, I mean, that's crazy. That's crazy to me. Hotels, restaurants, all of that Katie (23:57.904) really big in the northeast. So I find that interesting. I'd like to also touch a little bit on how we have... there seems to be like a big disconnect between what people are, how some people are dubbed environmentalists. It's kind of like a like a bad word sometimes in our industry, which is strange because in my mind, like I'm an environmentalist 100%. I have a master's degree in environmental science, you know, like I, I'm an environmentalist, but I love the ocean. I'm also a fisherman. And I think that there's like this stipulation between the parties other every single time. And for example, I think that a lot of people think that fishermen aren't conservationists, that fishermen don't love the ocean, but we're the ones that are spending our lives out on the ocean that want to share that with other people. And I think it's important to really highlight the fact that a lot of times you'll see polarization between the parties, but that involving different stakeholders is really important in making educated good benefit of the whale population. You touched on how this has brought together a lot of different stakeholders. Can you tell me a little bit more about that? John DePersenaire (25:18.348) Yeah, and that's a really good perspective. And so, you know, one of the things that when we saw the rule come out and sort of analyzed it, and, you know, we obviously knew it was gonna have impacts from an economic standpoint and an access standpoint. But we also knew that there was other ways of addressing this. Like, we just feel like we're too smart of an industry not to come up with another way of, or providing another tool to help with this issue. And so what we did was we pulled together a task force of experts in various different fields, from marine electronics to analyzing very high resolution satellite to artificial intelligence, processing thermal imagery and visual imagery, forward-facing sonar, modelers that work on crime analysis, but they can see an application here for managing whales, even friends at like, you know, ROFs, which, you know, I know a lot of your listeners are really familiar with, you know, they have a really interesting approach that, you know, they analyze sea conditions looking for marlin and tuna, but that same application can be used to figure out where we may want to focus management efforts for North Atlantic right whale. So all of this gives us the ability to start to think about how we could more... Katie (26:36.45) So cool. John DePersenaire (26:43.3) dynamically manage this and also have more nuanced approaches that are consistent with what we see in terms of differences of risk across vessel classes. So like what we may want to see for say an ocean going vessel, like a container ship, may not be the best approach for what we see on a 35 foot center console. You know, there's just the attributes of those vessels. It's just vastly different. there's safety concerns that, say the center console can take a base of action, whereas a container ship just, they're not at liberty to take action or slow down or any of those things. So the idea of this task force was really to look at ways that we could start to think about it on that more nuanced level. And also a big part of that was really putting an aggressive thought towards leveraging technology. And again, I... spoke before about how we're always building a safer boat every day. It's not like we build a less safe boat tomorrow. We're just constantly improving upon that. But what's really interesting about the task force is that we've put this really aggressive focus on marine mammals. So we've always been trying to avoid anything that's in the water. And now we've just sort of thought about how we can be more. narrowly focused to speed up acceleration for marine mammals. So for instance, we did a pilot project last December off the coast of New Jersey and we affixed, you know, so Viking, Atlantic Marine Electronics, working with a company, you know, so we put a FLIR on top of a commercial fishing boat out of Barnegotte Light, you know, and FLIR is something you're familiar with, you know, a lot of our boats have that, you know, it's nothing new, right? And so what was really knew about this was that the FLIR feed was being processed real time by an artificial intelligence algorithm. So it was able to, as that feed was coming in, it was able to classify a whale spout, you know, so its breath, it could pick that up, and also its body. And so it was a really fascinating exercise to see what is possible. And it wasn't perfect. John DePersenaire (29:04.056) But as you know, with AI, it's just, the training is what makes it so good. So the more these things are used, the more data we can throw at them. That's what's really going to spark this innovation. That's what's really going to accelerate this process. And I think what's so interesting about that is that it's coming from the private sector. So you talked about environmentalists. It's, I'm not dismissing any other industry, but we're really at the forefront of trying to find. pathways here to reduce our risk of hitting whales. And that's a really important thing. So one of the things that the task force asked for, you know, over a year and a half ago was for NOAA to convene a workshop and to pull all these various stakeholders together, you know, and figure out how we can collaborate. You know, what are people working on in all these different buckets that have to sort of be addressed and come together to create this overall bigger risk reduction approach. And so that workshop was finally convened last week. And I think it demonstrated a couple of things. First of all, I think it demonstrated that we are sincere. We're here to work. We're not starting from zero. And we've been focusing on this over the past 12 months. The other, I think, really important thing was that we're open to working with anyone. So this is sort of separate from the vessel speed rule in the sense that we're committing long term to doing our part in this issue. And so we are willing to work with anyone. If anyone has a project that they've been working on that has some relevance for this and there's some ability to assist or support what they're doing or bringing them on. And we can provide vessel time on one of our demo boats or something like that. We are open to working through this solution in good faith. And that's something I think was, I think our industry really demonstrated that. commitment to this and I was very impressed and really I was quite proud, you know, to show us, you know, the garments, the Navico's, the, you know, the fathoms, the roffs of the world to show up and say, yeah, what can we do? You know, let's roll up our sleeves. Let's think about this as a problem that we can all collectively contribute to and make some real progress towards. So it was great to see that. Katie (31:18.766) Yeah. That's awesome. I love, I got chicken skin. That's super cool. Um, congratulations. Can you give us like a timeline breakdown? A little idea on the regulatory side, how it looks, because this is where things get a little blurry for me, if I'm being honest. But the regulatory side, how it looks, you, um, they, they proposed a rule. Then the Whale and Vessel Safety Task Force, that's what it's called, right? That's the name for it? Was assembled. And tell me a little bit about the timeline. that has ensued since the rule was proposed and what has gone on y'all's end and on the government end. John DePersenaire (31:58.124) Okay, yeah, so like you said, the rule was introduced in August of 2022, and it's following, it's moving forward with the traditional federal rulemaking process. So it was open for public comments for, originally it was open for 30 days, believe it or not. And so one of the first things we did, I think the next day or the day after that, Viking put in a request for an extension for the public comment period, because we just. I mean, we knew immediately that this was the most consequential regulation that was ever going to impact our industry. Katie (32:32.35) I mean it's crazy. You already touched on the fact that like 10 knots is so slow. You guys, 10 knots you get like approximately 10 miles in one hour. That is so slow. That's what we go at night when we can't see anything. John DePersenaire (32:37.448) Right. John DePersenaire (32:43.02) Yeah. Right. Right. And so we knew we needed more time. So we put that request in. We got another 30 days. So the comment period was open for a total of 60 days. And so there was over 90,000 comments that were submitted from various interest groups. And we're very passionate about this issue, but there's also that other side that are very passionate about whale conservation, and rightfully John DePersenaire (33:17.368) we agree that we need to do something to help them. Absolutely we do. And so when that comment period closes, Noah is then charged with reviewing all those comments and responding to them. Not necessarily each individual comment per se, but the general themes of the comments. So there could have been say, 5,000 comments that were all sort of geared in one direction or. there may be 10,000 comments that came from an action alert or something like that. So they can respond to them as an aggregate, not necessarily each individual one. And so they look at those comments and they take them into consideration and they think about how they could perhaps modify the regulation. And so they can do a couple of things. They can, they can make modifications in response to those comments where they can do nothing and move forward with it. And so that's something that the public is not aware. And when, yeah, and so when federal rulemaking is taking place, in fact, the agency charged with putting forward that rule typically has, you know, is not able to talk about specifics in terms of modifications to what they may be considering or may have done in that rule. So it's sort of an unknown how this is sort of playing out. And so, but. Katie (34:13.95) It's behind closed doors. John DePersenaire (34:37.44) it has taken a much longer time. So originally when the rule came out in 2022, there was this sense, again, I talked about that really short public comment period, 30 days, but there was also this thought that they wanted to hurry this up and have it in place by November of 2022. And so we were like, oh my God, how can this dig? And so that was sort of the timeframe that the agency was initially pushing. And so as you can see, that's been Katie (34:55.77) Oh my gosh. Ah! John DePersenaire (35:07.068) significantly, significantly extended and not just because of the impacts to, you know, again, going back not to the impacts just to us, you're talking about, you know, national economy wide sort of impacts that have to be considered. And it wasn't just us that were submitting comments with concerns, it was the ports, it was the pilot associations, it was the shipping interests, it was the ferries, it was a whole host of people that make a living or their businesses tied to moving on the oceans. So it's a big deal. And so, so as you can see, we're much farther along than the original timeframe that no one wanted to get this done by. And so now we've just transitioned into this final step. And so some of you may have seen the first week of March, the rule went from the Department of Commerce, it went to a small office within the White House. It's called the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. And that's sort of this final analysis where they look at all the work that NOAA has done in developing the rule. They look at their cost benefit analysis, their modeling exercises, how they are looking at risk reduction, what alternatives they've put forward, the economic impacts. So they look at sort of all of that. And they also, even though they're not necessarily a political branch, they look at sort of the of the White House, they also try to mesh up what this rule could do in terms of some of the priorities of the administration. So, you know, things like, you know, how will this impact American jobs? How would it impact domestic manufacturing? How would this impact inflation? How would this impact supply chain issues? All sort of things that we've been talking about over the past few years. So that could come into play in this, because of course, when... Katie (36:55.158) macroscopic view. John DePersenaire (37:01.46) no one in the Office of Protected Resources put forward a rule, they're not necessarily in the position where they have to give so much weight to some of those bigger sort of impacts. They're really just, again, their mandate is really to put forward measures that seek to protect and rebuild an endangered species. And that's, so this sort of all comes together at this final stage. And there are opportunities for the public to weigh in. There's also opportunities for, you know, members of Congress and other people to weigh in this process. It's sort of a dual path project that happened in parallel. One is an interagency review, which is not open to the public. So that's where this office of OIRA will reach out to, say, Interior or Commerce, all these different departments within the federal government, and ask about their input and thoughts on the rule and how it would impact the the issues and the stakeholders that they're charged with dealing with. And then also there's this public side. So the members of the public actually can request a meeting with OIRA and then the final stage. Katie (38:12.882) OIRA is Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. And so when the rule got pushed to OIRA or given to OIRA, did it then become public knowledge or is it still all behind closed doors? We don't know what's going on after the comment period. John DePersenaire (38:17.68) That's right. John DePersenaire (38:29.26) Yeah, yeah, yeah. And that's what's so challenging about this. Again, I said there is an opportunity for the public to weigh in and have a meeting, but when the rule advances, the public is not made aware if any changes have been made. So we understand that some changes were in consideration, but we don't know specifics or if they address all of our concerns. We have no idea. Katie (38:54.818) from that public comment period, way at the beginning. Wow, so all this time, it's been behind closed doors. We have no idea what's being discussed or if there have been any changes being made. We can speculate on what's being discussed, but if there have been any changes being made, and then it gets pushed over to OIRA, we still don't know, but there is an opening for public comment. When is that opening for public comment? Has it already happened? John DePersenaire (38:57.296) Correct. Yes. John DePersenaire (39:21.912) So it starts when the rule is forwarded to OIRA. So it's open now as of the odds of March. And we don't know exactly when that closes. So there's a bit of uncertainty in the speed at which a rule can stay or advance out of OIRA. And there's a couple different things that could happen here. One, OIRA could review this and say there are concerns. And we need to go back and come up with different, or not different, but add different alternatives, or add new ways of dealing with this issue. So thinking back to the original rule that came out, there was a whole bunch of support documentation that was with that. And one of those was the draft environmental assessment. And in that assessment, it included five different alternatives. but all of them were exclusively focused on vessel speed. There was no consideration of technology or any other ways of reducing risk of vessel strikes. And so one thing that could happen is that OIRA looks at this and says, the economic impacts are significant enough that we want to send this back to NOAA for them to consider alternatives that could utilize existing technology or technologies that could be developed. to help with this issue of reducing risk. So that's a pathway that could be beneficial for us, or it could just move forward as written. Again, we don't know exactly how it's been rewritten, but it could just move forward and become final. Katie (41:00.13) So tell me how the building or the assembling of the Whale and Vessel Safety Task Force has played a role in this process. John DePersenaire (41:15.168) Yeah, it's been a really interesting, and I'm so grateful to the members who agreed to sit on that task force, because I think it's unprecedented in the sense that we've seen such a diverse field of experts really sit down and commit to working on this. So the task force is just a, basically it's a think tank, you know? But it has all the key elements, right? So, you know, obviously we're looking at things like detection. We're thinking about how detection information makes it out to the fleet. You know, how that one, you know, how we want that to display on someone's multifunction display. We're thinking about how we can better model. So we're thinking about this in a really holistic way. And we're trying to address all these different sort of puzzle pieces that have to come together. to ultimately get information out to operators. Because that's a huge part of this and something that is just so, it's just missing from the current approach is that if we can get information out to operators, information that's timely and relevant, there is a significant benefit in that. And as you know, as an operator, like, you know, you don't wanna be bombarded with information that's not relevant, right? You know, because the last thing you want is, Katie (42:41.358) Oh god no. John DePersenaire (42:43.076) being, you know, having all these alerts going off, because after three or four, you're like, oh, that was for, you know, an area 100 miles south of me. Like you're going to turn it off or silence it, you know? And so one of the big things that we really have to focus on is getting the most relevant, important information out to operators when they're in an area where they need to get that information. And that's a key element that this task force and what the industry is working on. So as you know, like, Katie (42:47.85) Mm-hmm, you get me. Yeah. John DePersenaire (43:11.056) There is a ton of research institutions out there that have been doing incredible work on North Atlantic right whales and marine mammals in general, like just experts. Awesome, they do such good work. But that information and that work has not much use for us in its present form. There has to be this connection to the marine industry to bring it all together and then to have a positive response. And that's ultimately what we're trying to do. We're trying to give... operators information so they can make decisions about their trips and also how they can make decisions about reducing risk of hitting wells, right? And so that is the real critical element where the task force and our industry plays a role that sort of no one else can. Like we have to be at the table if we want to see this complete solution, so to speak, come together. Katie (43:49.196) Right. Katie (44:04.826) Yes, okay, I love it. So not only has it been, has since the public comment period has been behind closed, I'm sorry. So not only has everything been behind closed doors since the initial public comment period, but this task force has been assembling. And didn't you guys push to have a NOAA representative sit aboard the task force so that they can know what's going on? John DePersenaire (44:31.904) Yeah, no, and it's been a great asset for us and I think for Noah as well. So we meet with that liaison once a month. And you know, I think that's a great It's a great commitment showing that they're willing to engage with us and share information. And one of the things from this workshop that we're really keen on doing is continuing that sense of collaboration that we saw during the workshop. I mean, I think the majority of people went into that really with, you know, this willingness to sit and talk with anyone and really figure out how we can work together on this issue. And so That's something we really want to continue with NOAA moving forward. You know, again, we may have concerns with the rule, but we're in complete agreement that we want to reduce vessel strike risk. So we are in parallel with them on that effort if they're willing to work with us. And everything we've seen so far since the workshop has been great. And we want to continue that type of synergy that we think is really essential for this type of problem. Katie (45:40.758) Well, on behalf of the industry, I think it's absolutely incredible that you guys have not only like just sat back after public comment period, but taken all this initiative to, like you said, take a holistic approach on the issue and to come forth and provide a solution and to fight to make sure that no one knows exactly what's going on and to have a liaison there. I think that's awesome. So the rule right now is in OI-Rez hands. Is that is that correct? John DePersenaire (46:09.764) That's correct. Katie (46:10.672) So you mentioned there's another opportunity for public comment, which is happening right now. But you don't know what's being discussed in the rule or what's being proposed moving forward or what Oryrus is exactly seeing. So what's your strategy going into this public comment period? Because you can't say what you said in the initial one because that's just a waste of time, right? So what's your mindset there? Like how are we looking at that? John DePersenaire (46:39.372) Yeah, so. Our strategy going into this is, again, we don't know what the rule is, but I mean, I think from Viking's, I'm just going to speak just from Viking standpoint, you know, we have, you know, just over 20 different models of boats. All of them are over 35 feet, except for three. So I mean, the impact to us is really, really significant. And even if they were to say, increase that minimum threshold from 35 up to 40, it really doesn't do much. for us. So our argument really has not changed even if say the rule has changed as it's progressed on to O'Rei-Ry. And again, we're just speculating. We don't know exactly what they've done to that rule. But there's really a couple of things that we are going to bring to those meetings and how we're going to try to address this. There still are really significant modeling flaws. So this is something we talked about early on. Katie is that, you know, the way no one looks at vessels and the risk is associated with that vessel. Originally, it was those 35 foot and up all had the same sort of characteristics, right? So you think about displacement and draft depth, you know, they are just vastly different between a Panama X container ship and a 35 foot center console. And so one of the big criticisms is like, you know, if you're going to model risk, I mean, come to us, get the data, we can show you what a 35 foot center console drafts, right? And what it does at 10 knots and actually how that draft actually to step tall, it starts to decrease as you get up on plane. So we can show you all of that. And we don't think that they've taken enough steps to get to that level of specificity that would make sense from a management standpoint. So we still think that they are vastly, vastly. Katie (48:12.715) Open book. John DePersenaire (48:35.936) inflating risk of recreational boats because they haven't, at least as far as I know, they have not come to any of the manufacturers to get those vessel specs, which would be critical to put into that risk encounter model, which is driving a lot of this. So that's something we will continue to point out. The other thing is that we sort of do now have real impacts. So we've had a few orders that have not gone through because of the vessel speed rule. So... no longer is this theoretical in terms of what it could do to an industry like recreational fishing and boating or a boat builder like flaking. We now have demonstrable impacts and it's not just us and our workforce. You know, for that boat in particular that was canceled, you know, there's 28 different suppliers that we go to from engines to stabilization to electronics packages to... know, riggers, rott holders, coolers, fish box appliances, like the list is significant, you know. So again, we can start to demonstrate that their cost benefit analysis, which put this at three, roughly $3,000 per vessel per year, was just vastly underestimated because we now have, you know, we now have one example where we can just say, we can walk through, you know, the spec sheet, the bill sheet for that boat and say like, Katie (49:47.227) Oh my gosh. John DePersenaire (49:59.512) what we had to go back to those people and say, this order is not going through now, we're gonna need to cancel this PO. And so, and also wrapped up in that boat was roughly 13,000 labor hours. So that's a big hit for a workforce that is here to build boats. So that's really what we're going into, but obviously other groups will be going in talking about the safety aspects, talking about the privacy aspects, knowing that AIS, a safety tool. is now being used for enforcement. And that's a huge concern. Talking about just the public's access to the resources, you know, these well-managed fisheries, which we've worked all so hard to get rebuilt and well-managed, and now all of a sudden, we're not going to have access to them for up to seven months out of the year. So those are all key issues that, you know, we are going to be going into this OIRA phase really trying to drive home. And of course, you know, small businesses will be weighing in as well. The ferries, the charterboat guys that, you know, can demonstrate lost trips during these periods of time. All that is really, really critical in this stage. Katie (51:06.914) I want to ask you about the small business and the inter, I don't remember the lingo, but the intergovernment relations or branches. We'll get to that. But first I would like for you to tell me, please tell me a little bit about how they're proposing for AIS to be used for surveillance and why that's an issue. Tell us what AIS is. Start from the beginning. John DePersenaire (51:27.488) Yeah, so that is it. Yeah, so AIS is Automatic Information System. And so the easiest way to think about AIS is almost like air traffic control. So when you pull up like flight aware, you can see the flight number, all the aspects about that plane, what its heading is. And we have something very similar on the marine side. And the rules for vessels that are required to carry AIS generally broken down into two classes. One is class A, those are vessels that are over 65 foot and engaged in commercial activities. So they have both receiving and transmitting AIS. And what that means is that they are sending out a signal that gives it's, you know, the vessel's identification, what its classification is, its heading and its speed, I believe, and also its position. So you can... Katie (52:18.89) Yeah, speed, length, and bear, yeah. John DePersenaire (52:22.028) So, right, so if you pull up something like marine traffic, you can actually see where all those big MERSC ships are, are going and all the tugs and tows are going because that's a really important thing to know. Like if you go out and fish for, you know, giants in the mud hole and spring fog, you really want to know those boats are coming, right? So it's a huge safety tool. Boats that are under 65 feet or non-class A vessels include a lot of like, you know, Vikings and sport fish boats. And they're typically, Katie (52:40.096) Yeah, definitely. John DePersenaire (52:52.044) receive only. So they get the benefit of receiving that AIS signal, but they don't have to transmit their information. And so what's been happening over the past few years is that NOAA enforcement has been going into these data sets of AIS data and they've been retrospectively investigating boats and seeing where they may have exceeded some of the existing, again, remember, going back to 2008, there have been some areas that have been placed since then for both 65 foot and bigger. And what they've done is they've gone back and figured out, just calculated if they exceeded the speed limits. In a lot of cases, it's not even like, you know, it's a 10 knots. Two years. Yeah. Or, and in cases, some cases it's like, you know, not even like, you know, they're going 40 miles an hour in this, you know, 10 knot zone. They're going like 13 knots, like something that Katie (53:34.89) It's not even real time. It's like going back and looking and then... John DePersenaire (53:49.396) And you know, running boats, like depending on the sea, you can be, you can be going between bouncing between eight and 12 a lot of times, right? Even if you're just trying to spend the tide or you're navigating an inlet. And so. Katie (53:50.882) with the current, yeah. Katie (53:55.534) 12. Yeah? Mm-hmm. Katie (54:01.226) especially when you're looking at a ship of that magnitude and size. John DePersenaire (54:04.14) Yeah, and so that's what I think is one of the most concerning parts of the enforcement aspect of this is that they're taking a tool that has been designed for a navigational aid and a significant safety benefit and using it for enforcement. And the last thing we want people to do is to second guess themselves, turn that thing off and be like, it's just not worth the risk because it's not like these fines are like, you know, Katie (54:23.646) Stop using it. Mm-hmm. Nope. No. John DePersenaire (54:31.192) you know, $50 for like an undersized fish. I mean, these are, you know, pretty significant fines, upwards of $7,500 of violation. So it's not like it's insignificant. Katie (54:38.199) Yeah. Katie (54:41.87) Oh my gosh, so this kind of like makes me sick a little bit, but obviously we want people to follow the rules. We don't want cargo ships going 30 knots in a 10 knot zone, you know, for sure. But like in my personal experience, you guys like. the AIS system in the central, in the Pacific, I know this isn't what we're talking about, but I'm just saying in the Pacific there's no shipping lanes. So it's a very, very essential safety tool that both you can see the ship and know where they're heading and what direction and what speed, especially when it's two in the morning and there's no moon. And they can also see where you are and your speed if you're underway or not. And I mean, you have to have AIS. And looking at I don't have a lot of experience in the Northeast, but I do know that there is significant fog conditions and we already touched on the fact that there's like a lot of ship traffic and a lot of boat traffic because these are really big ports. And like John just said, I just have to reiterate this that no, we don't want vessels to be going too fast in these zones. But what we really do not want is for people, for humans to be turning off their AIS system be a like a sea that's pushing you a little bit further because you're trying to get out of a storm, whatever it might be, and turning their AIS off and putting themselves at risk. So yeah, no, there's a that's a that's a big issue. John DePersenaire (56:14.668) Yeah, and so like for the Northeast in particular, you know, like, you know, New York is now considered the busiest port in the U S you know, and so you can imagine all the vessels, you know, coming in and out of that approach. And you're exactly right. I mean, like say you're out fishing and you're hooked up, you know, say you've got a giant on, you know, you, you want to have your AIS on because as those, those big container ships are trucking through and there's no, you know, there may not be any speed restrictions out there. I mean, they'd be going 26 knots. Like you want them to see you. And so that's a really critical thing to keep our fleet safe. And the last thing we want is it to be used for something it wasn't intended to. And then people start to second guess that because they're concerned about enforcement or even just privacy issues. I mean, we're not considered a highly regulatory, highly regulated activity. And for some applications like the commercial shipping sector, yeah. I mean, that makes sense for them to be. Katie (57:00.982) Yeah. John DePersenaire (57:13.136) tracked and monitored. And I think it makes sense to use I.S. in that application for them. But like for the private citizen, it really doesn't. Like I think a lot of people will be upset if, you know, we just found out that like, say the FBI was tracking everyone's cell phone position. Like it's just, you know, we do have fourth amendment rights. Like you can't just have, you know, warrantless search, you know, and monitoring. Right. And so that's, this really comes into that element. You know, do our federal enforcement Katie (57:32.432) It's very 1984, big brother. John DePersenaire (57:41.768) agency is allowed to have access to that data without a warrant. I mean, that's a real serious privacy question that has to be answered, to be honest. Katie (57:50.23) Yeah. and especially with you guys working on potential technological advances and uses for tech to help mitigate this situation. Just the fact that you guys are working hard to give a different solution, I think is exceptional. Now, already we know how it worked with proposing the rule. We know you guys built a task force and are continuing to try and find a better solution, continuing to be involved in the government, even though it's all behind closed doors. And you told me the other day, I believe, that there is, you got involved a little bit with the small business office in the U.S. Can you tell me, I don't remember the lingo, I'm sorry, but can you tell me how that is a way to help benefit the situation as a whole despite the fact that you guys don't really have a say in what's going on the regulatory side? John DePersenaire (58:44.512) Yeah, so we had a roundtable discussion with the US Small Business Administration back in September of 2022. And it's really an interesting branch of the federal government. It's relatively small. But they have this one office, it's the advocate. And really what their charge is, is to make sure that small businesses in the country are not, you know, inordinately impacted by federal regulations, right? Or at least that the impacts are known if they move forward with a decision on that. And so during that round table discussion, there was representatives from our sector, the recreational fishing and boating sector, the ports, pilots, fast ferries, even seaplanes. I think there was a representative for the seaplanes there. So as you can imagine, it was everyone that had some stake or had some activity on the water that was important to them. And really what that ended up producing was a really strong letter from the Small Business Administration that was submitted to the federal record that pointed out that the industry was demonstrating that there were things that could have been considered in terms of reducing risk through technology. but they weren't considered in the rule. And so that was a really powerful statement. And so as this rule now goes on to OIRA and reflecting back upon those two pathways that happened in parallel there, that interagency review is not open to the public, but the Small Business Administration is involved with that interagency review. So... That is something where we have been sort of going back to them and providing them updated impacts. And so we've had some charter boat operators submit their statement, basically saying, I do X number of trips in this period of time. I sail from this port. This is what I charge for a trip. I'm a small business. I have four employees. I have two employees, whatever it is. And that's a real impact that the Small Business Administration, they can go back and John DePersenaire (01:00:58.42) submit that during the interagency review. So I think those are going to be really critical messages. And again, like the most important thing, I think, in this stage is bringing new information. The one thing that was hard about that public comment period, again, it was, it's hard to believe they're going to do it in 30 days, but even with 60 days, it was really hard to even get a lot of the economic impact information there, you know, and it just took more time for us to develop that and talk to the right people and get that all into place. So This is a good opportunity for us to bring that new information to the table because I think it's really compelling and it's really critical that they know about these impacts before they make a decision on this rule. Katie (01:01:41.49) Yeah, well said. Perfect. I love it. Besides the task force and the US Small Business Administration... You're gonna have to forgive me on that. What other... Have you guys been doing anything else in all your time you have? Or... I'm just kidding. John DePersenaire (01:01:53.477) I'm so happy to say it. John DePersenaire (01:01:59.556) Well, yeah, I mean, so, you know, listen, members of Congress, I mean, they're always concerned about, you know, constituents and impacts to, you know, their, their states and their districts that they represent. So this is a time where, yeah, if you ever thought about, if you thought more about how this would impact you, your business, your, maybe if it's even not a business, how it impacts your livelihood and your recreation, because that's a important thing, you know, reaching out to your member of Congress, letting them know, that member of Congress can then relay that message also through the interagency review. So they're allowed to engage in that as well. So all these sort of things are important. And again, the message is not that the hell with the North Atlantic right whale, you know, let it just run its course. What we're saying is that let's figure out how to come up with a really reasonable that acknowledges the needs of the industry, but also acknowledges that we have to do something for North Atlantic right wells. And we think there's that balance that can be struck there. And listen, we've, again, you've pointed out that task force several times. I mean, it's not just there on paper. We meet, we talk about this, we're doing pilot projects. The electronics folks are hard at work trying to figure out how this, get this all integrated onto a screen. So work is being done. It's not like we're just. pushing this off and saying, you know, we just want to go fast. You know, we are trying to come up with alternatives here that make a lot of sense. And so that's really what our message is at this final stage is all about. You know, we are working towards something that's going to have benefits for both the industry and. Katie (01:03:42.162) 100%. And not only that, but don't we feel like having a speed reduction zone for vessels 35 to 65 foot doesn't actually make a big difference on the right whales? John DePersenaire (01:03:58.124) Yeah, I mean, that's something that, yeah, we're not exactly sure it's going to have much benefit. This is one of the, you know, I talked about this earlier, but this is, again, it's all about reducing risk. And again, it's just a little bit of a foreign approach because, again, thinking back to fisheries, you know, we're typically given a status report of a stock, right? Say we're talking about bluefin tuna, for example. know, and say, all right, this is the stock status. It seems like we have to reduce fishing mortality by 25%. This is what that 25% reduction is going to do to our overall domestic quota. This is how we're going to implement regulations to achieve that 25% reduction in quota. This is a little different in the sense that they say we need to reduce risk of vessel strikes. We don't disagree with that, but we're not giving a clear objective. And so from an incremental progress standpoint, how do you even know if you're making progress. That's a real tricky thing. And so what was so interesting as we were trying to dive into the details to figure out a little bit more about this so we could help with our work and product development and all that sort of stuff, seeing if we're coming up with ideas that even had adequate effectiveness rates, what we found was that, what was so interesting is that in response to the 2008 Vessel Speed Rule, there was a reduction of vessel strikes. but there was actually no, they were not able to correlate that to the rule. So it's a really interesting modeling exercise and one that doesn't quite make sense. It seems like we need to figure out what was driving. Maybe it was a Vessel Speed, because I mean, I know when I think about a big shipping container, I mean, if that thing's going 15 knots or 10 knots and it hits a whale, I mean, I don't think the outlook is much different, to be honest. So... It just makes you really want to dive into the details and it really wants you to make sure that we're looking at this from a really comprehensive standpoint. Like we don't wanna just assume that risk from a 35 foot center console boat is detrimental to the stock. It may be and it may have a risk, but is that significant enough to take such significant action? Or are there other ways that we can go about? John DePersenaire (01:06:20.204) mitigatin

Randy shares a mic with return guest Heather Douville, and her father, Mike. Mike shares his experiences of growing up in a Tlingit village before Southeast Alaska developed to the levels seen today. Topics include Mike's lifetime of fishing, hunting, and trapping, for his livelihood, to include deer, halibut, shellfish, salmon, seals, sea otters and perspectives on the Marine Mammal Protection Act and using the landscape sustainably for food. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andrew discusses a concerning incident that occurred in Waikiki, Hawaii. A humpback whale calf was separated from its mother and began beaching itself, putting its life at risk. While many people tried to alert the authorities, one woman made the unethical and illegal decision to ride the whale. Andrew emphasizes the dangers and ignorance of such actions, as well as the importance of knowing how to respond when encountering distressed wildlife. He shares a personal story of finding a sea turtle nest and taking the appropriate steps to protect it. Andrew urges listeners to be respectful guests in the ocean and not to touch or disturb marine wildlife. He concludes by wishing everyone a happy new year and teasing upcoming episodes of the podcast. Link to article: https://www.newsweek.com/woman-mounts-distressed-baby-whale-beaching-1856383 Follow a career in conservation: https://www.conservation-careers.com/online-training/ Use the code SUFB to get 33% off courses and the careers program.   Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3NmYvsI Connect with Speak Up For Blue: Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rIaJSG Twitter: https://bit.ly/3rHZxpc   In the podcast episode, the host discusses the importance of knowing how to handle encounters with distressed animals, particularly whales. The episode focuses on a specific incident at Waikiki Beach in Hawaii, where a humpback whale calf became separated from its mother and was at risk of beaching itself. Numerous individuals witnessed the distressed whale and promptly alerted the authorities, taking action to potentially save its life. The host emphasizes the crucial role of notifying the appropriate authorities when coming across an animal in distress. In this case, people promptly contacted the police, informed lifeguards, and notified nearby hotels about the situation. By taking these actions, they ensured that the necessary intervention was carried out to assist the whale. Furthermore, the podcast episode highlights the illegal and unethical nature of riding a distressed humpback whale calf. The host stresses the dangers associated with such behavior, both for the person involved and the whale itself. Instances of individuals losing their lives while attempting to rescue entangled whales are mentioned, as they became entangled themselves and were unable to resurface for air. The host underscores the immense size and weight of humpback whales, emphasizing the potential for injury or harm to anyone attempting to ride them. Additionally, the host mentions the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which prohibits such interactions with marine mammals. In the podcast episode, the host also underscores the significance of being a responsible guest in the ocean and refraining from touching or harassing wildlife. Personal experiences and stories are shared to further emphasize the importance of this message. The host begins by recounting a disturbing incident in Hawaii where a woman chose to ride a distressed humpback whale calf. Expressing disbelief, the host strongly condemns this behavior as both illegal and ethically wrong. The dangers of interacting with marine mammals are explained, citing cases where individuals have tragically lost their lives while attempting to save entangled whales. Respecting the natural behavior and space of marine animals is emphasized, as they are powerful and potentially dangerous creatures. Additionally, the host shares a personal experience of encountering a sea turtle, highlighting the need to observe and appreciate wildlife without interfering or causing harm.

Manatees are Florida's gentle giants and are a sight to behold. They are state and federally protected species under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978 according to FWC. These gentle giants are Florida's true natives, and we need to be respectful of these creatures when entering water ways. The goal is to actively co-exist with Florida wildlife. To properly do this we must first learn where we can find manatees, why we can find them in freshwater during the winter months, what they eat, and how we can protect these gentle creatures.     Learn More: Florida Manatee Facts and Information - https://myfwc.com/education/wildlife/manatee/facts-and-information/ Manatee Overview - https://www.fws.gov/species/manatee-trichechus-manatus Marine Mammal Commission: Florida Manatee - https://www.mmc.gov/priority-topics/species-of-concern/florida-manatee/ Where Can I See Manatees in Florida? https://myfwc.com/education/wildlife/manatee/where-to-see/ How You Can Help: Boaters should practice best boating practices by adhering to manatee caution signs, no wake zones, and watching for a manatee's swim patterns. Keep a safe distance if you do see a manatee. Report injured, orphaned, entangled, distressed or dead manatees to the FWC WIldlife Alert Hotline 888-404-3922.  You can also download their app, “FWC Wildlife Alert”. You can text 847411 (Tip411) with keyword “FWC” and information about the situation. You can also submit a tip at MyFWC.com/WildlifeAlert Monitor fertilizer runoff from yards that back into a known manatee area.  You can support manatee conservation indirection through the “Save the Manatee License Plate” Sources for this Episode: Florida Manatee Facts and Information - https://myfwc.com/education/wildlife/manatee/facts-and-information/ Manatee Overview - https://www.fws.gov/species/manatee-trichechus-manatus Marine Mammal Commission: Florida Manatee - https://www.mmc.gov/priority-topics/species-of-concern/florida-manatee/ If you enjoyed this episode, please consider sharing it with a friend who might enjoy learning about Florida's natural areas and the wild things that live here! If you're active on iNaturalist, consider joining our iNaturalist project, Naturally Florida's Listener Observations, here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/naturally-florida-s-listener-observations --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/naturallyflorida/message

We address the issues of the Jedi and Child Soldiers, whether Anakin committed Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress with Ahsoka's Final Lesson, Hera and disobeying lawful orders, whether there was a Duty to Rescue Ahsoka, and if riding a space whale would violate the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Support the showNo part of this recording should be considered legal advice.Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok @TheLegalGeeks

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), an arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), recently saw one of its major agency efforts that placed severe limits on the Maine lobster fishing industry in the name of protecting right whales from being entangled in fishing gear rejected by the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. The far-reaching impact of NMFS's rule on the Maine $1.5 billion dollar lobster fishing industry was widely reported, resulting in multiple lawsuits, and congressional action before it was rejected by the appeals court, who chided the federal agency for being “egregiously wrong” about its authority and assessments.NMFS's efforts to restrict the lobster fishing industry through the enactment of rules under both the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act is part of a larger trend. NMFS is also considering putting a speed limit on recreational boats in the Florida gulf to protect Rice's whales, and another proposal to impose a speed limit across nearly the entirety of the Eastern seaboard, which coastal communities, boaters and fishermen claim will shut down harmless boating activity and place boaters in danger by demanding they travel at the speeds that make boat travel impossible. Environmental groups argue that these rules are necessary to protect a species that hangs on the brink of extinction.Join us for a lively and engaging discussion surrounding the recent decision, and the legality and constitutionality of NMFS's regulatory efforts. This will be a discussion between Jane Luxton, the Managing Partner of the DC office of Lewis Brisbois, one of the attorneys on the briefs for Maine Lobstermen's Association, and a former General Counsel of NOAA, and Braden H. Boucek, Director of Litigation at Southeastern Legal Foundation who recently filed comments in opposition to the proposal to impose a speed limit in the Florida gulf.*******As always, the Federalist Society takes no position on particular legal or public policy issues; all expressions of opinion are those of the speaker.

Seacoast Science Center's Marine Mammal Rescue (MMR) team is advancing wildlife conservation through stranded marine mammal response, care, and community outreach in New Hampshire and Northeastern Massachusetts.MMR responds to all reports of live (healthy, injured, sick) and deceased seals, whales, porpoises, and dolphins in NH and northern MA (from Essex, MA, to the Maine border).Marine Mammal Reporting Hotline: 603-997-9448All marine mammals are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, enacted by the federal government on October 21, 1972. Fulfilling this requirement, Seacoast Science Center Marine Mammal Rescue staffs a 24/7 hotline (603-997-9448) and responds to all reports of marine mammals that haul out or strand on the shore in New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts (from Essex, MA to the Maine border). MMR leads the response and rescue and conducts health assessments and triage while collaborating necropsy labs conduct postmortem exams and rehabilitation facilities care for and release animals.Marine Mammal Response Hotline: 603-997-9448https://www.seacoastsciencecenter.org/marine-mammal-rescue/about/***Please note all opinions expressed on The Three Guys Podcast do not represent any Group, Company or Organization***Episode Produced by The Three Guys ProductionsThe Three Guys Podcast:Instagram:  The Three Guys Podcast (@the_three_guys_podcast_) • Instagram photos and videosTwitter:  The Three Guys Podcast (@TheThreeGuysPo1) / TwitterYouTube:   Three Guys Podcast - YouTubeLinkedIn the-three-guys-podcastDerek:  Derek DePetrillo (@derekd0518) • Instagram photos and videosBrian:  Brian Nazarian (@the_real_brian_nazarian) • Instagram photos and videosBrett:  Brett J. DePetrillo (@78brettzky

Seacoast Science Center's Marine Mammal Rescue (MMR) team is advancing wildlife conservation through stranded marine mammal response, care, and community outreach in New Hampshire and Northeastern Massachusetts.MMR responds to all reports of live (healthy, injured, sick) and deceased seals, whales, porpoises, and dolphins in NH and northern MA (from Essex, MA, to the Maine border).Marine Mammal Reporting Hotline: 603-997-9448All marine mammals are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, enacted by the federal government on October 21, 1972. Fulfilling this requirement, Seacoast Science Center Marine Mammal Rescue staffs a 24/7 hotline (603-997-9448) and responds to all reports of marine mammals that haul out or strand on the shore in New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts (from Essex, MA to the Maine border). MMR leads the response and rescue and conducts health assessments and triage while collaborating necropsy labs conduct postmortem exams and rehabilitation facilities care for and release animals.Marine Mammal Response Hotline: 603-997-9448https://www.seacoastsciencecenter.org/marine-mammal-rescue/about/***Please note all opinions expressed on The Three Guys Podcast do not represent any Group, Company or Organization***Episode Produced by The Three Guys ProductionsThe Three Guys Podcast:Instagram:  The Three Guys Podcast (@the_three_guys_podcast_) • Instagram photos and videosTwitter:  The Three Guys Podcast (@TheThreeGuysPo1) / TwitterYouTube:   Three Guys Podcast - YouTubeLinkedIn the-three-guys-podcastDerek:  Derek DePetrillo (@derekd0518) • Instagram photos and videosBrian:  Brian Nazarian (@the_real_brian_nazarian) • Instagram photos and videosBrett:  Brett J. DePetrillo (@78brettzky***Please note all opinions expressed on The Three Guys Podcast do not represent any Group, Company or Organization***Episode Produced by The Three Guys ProductionsInstagram: The Three Guys Podcast (@the_three_guys_podcast_) • Instagram photos and videosTwitter: The Three Guys Podcast (@TheThreeGuysPo1) / TwitterYouTube: Three Guys Podcast - YouTubeLinkedIn the-three-guys-podcastDerek: Derek DePetrillo (@derekd0518) • Instagram photos and videosBrian: Brian Nazarian (@the_real_brian_nazarian) • Instagram photos and videosBrett: Brett J. DePetrillo (@78brettzky

A look at the Marine Mammal Protection Act's many advancements and accomplishments in the last 50 years.

When the album “Songs of the Humpback Whale” first hit record stores five decades ago, it energized the Save the Whales movement and helped push Congress to pass the Marine Mammal Protection Act. To mark the 50th anniversary of that landmark act, WBUR's Barbara Moran spoke with the album's creator about its influence on the environmental movement. Greater Boston's daily podcast where news and culture meet.

Episode 15: Vaquita: Conservation Summary: The vaquita is balancing on the edge of extinction. With only 10 left, can we save these beautiful porpoises? Join Kiersten as she talks about the conservation efforts surrounding the vaquita.   For my hearing impaired listeners, a complete transcript of this podcast follows the show notes on Podbean.   Show Notes:  https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/west-coast/science-data/vaquita-conservation-and-abundance https://seasheperd.org/milagro/ Robinson, Jacqueline; Kyriazis Christopher; Nidenda-Morales, Sergio; Beichman, Annabel; Rojas-Bracho, LOrenzo; Robertson, Kelly; Fontaine, Micheal; Wayne, Robert; Lohmueller, Kirk; Taylor Barbara, and Morin, Phillip. “The critically endangered vaquita is not doomed to extinction by inbreeding depression.” Science, May 2022: Vol 376, Issue 6593, pg 635-639; DOI:10.1126/science.abm1742   Vaquita: Science, Politics, and Crime in the Sea of Cortez by Brooke Bessesen Original music written and performed by Katherine Camp Vaquita Conservation Organizations porpoise.org   Transcript (Piano music plays) Kiersten - This is Ten Things I Like About…a ten minute, ten episode podcast about unknown or misunderstood wildlife. (Piano music stops)   Kiersten - Welcome to Ten Things I Like About… I'm Kiersten, your host, and this is a podcast about misunderstood or unknown creatures in nature. Some we'll find right out side our doors and some are continents away but all are fascinating.    This podcast will focus ten, ten minute episodes on different animals and their amazing characteristics. Please join me on this extraordinary journey, you won't regret it.   This episode continues the vaquita and the fifth thing I like about the vaquita is how much effort we are putting into conservation of this species! Regrettably, this will be my last episode about the vaquita. I wanted to do a full ten episodes but we know so little about this animal that I could only gather enough information to do five episodes. Also, a word of caution about this episode, it will be hard to listen to and it was incredibly emotionally for me to write, but this is an important part of the vaquita's story and must be told. Have some tissues handy.   At the posting of this episode, in December 2022 there are only 10 vaquitas alive in the Sea of Cortez. They are the only vaquitas alive on the planet. There are no individuals in captivity. We have the slimmest of chances to save them from extinction and the odds are not on our, or their side, but we haven't given up.   Conservation efforts concerning the vaquita began in 1972 when the United States gave them protection under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. In 1975 Mexico also listed them as endangered. By this time, it was determined that the gill net fishing in the Sea of Cortez was greatly impacting not only the totoaba fish the nets were intended to catch but also the vaquita.    According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's website gill nets are described as a wall of netting that hangs in the water column, typically made of monofilament or multifilament nylon. Mesh sizes can vary depending on species that you wish to catch but they are designed to allow the fish' s head to get through but not the body. As the fish struggles to get free it gets more and more tangled keeping it captured until fishermen retrieve the nets. This type of fishing is not manned, it is a passive form of fishing that means fisherman can come by at different times to retrieve the fish caught in the nets. Commercial fisheries have been using this method to catch the totoaba, a fish that can grow to 6 feet long and is in great demand in Chinese markets, since the 1930s.    These nets are huge risks to oxygen breathing animals that live in areas where they are used. Animals such as sea turtles, sea lions, dolphins, whales and porpoises can all die when caught in these nets because they become trapped under water and suffocate.    In 1996 vaquita were listed as critically endangered by the International Union of Conservation of Nature, aka IUCN. In 1997, the first reliable estimate of the vaquita population was obtained through a cooperative Mexican-American survey. A total of 567 individuals were estimated by this survey. In 2008 another survey found only 245 vaquitas. This is a loss of 57%. That's 322 individuals in eleven years.    Now gill net fishing for totoaba had been outlawed in 1975 because of the severe decline seen in this species, but the swim bladder of this fish can bring a very high price on the black market, so fisherman were willing to risk punishment for the huge payday. In 2010 the totoaba were listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. Gillnets are still used illegally to catch this fish and these nets are also the main reason vaquitas are balancing on the edge of extinction.   In the last episode, I mentioned the Sea Shepherd Organization and the conservation efforts they are involved in. Let's start with two projects focused on helping keep the vaquita safe in the Sea of Cortez.   Operation Milagro is a program in which the Sea Shepherd ships work in conjunction with Mexican authorities to crackdown on illegal fishing in the Sea of Cortez. The ships go out on daily tours looking for illegal fishing activity. When they spot someone or something suspicious they contact the Mexican Navy to investigate further. This is a band-aid on a fatal wound but the volunteers of Sea Shepherd are willing to do everything they can to help this marine mammal.    Another project they are involved in, now that gill net fishing has been outlawed in the Sea of Cortez, is retrieving ghost nets. These are nets that have been abandoned by fisherman but still remain in the waters. They may not be used for fishing anymore but they still pose a threat to the aquatic life in the sea.    Sea Shepherd ships use specialized equipment to find these nets and haul them aboard freeing any animals caught but still alive and untangling those that have perished. They throw these individuals overboard with heavy hearts knowing that they may help feed other animals in the water. The nets are dismantled and sent to an organization that is making shoes out of them. Parley for the Oceans has joined forces with Adidas to turn ocean trash and gill nets into running shoes.   The question that haunts conservationists is whether all of this work is too little too late? With only ten individual vaquitas left on the planet, are our efforts to save them from gill nets even worth it?   For those of you that remember the basics of high school genetics you probably know that when you have a small pool of mammalian genes, inbreeding can cause some serious problems. If animals, especially mammals, breed with family members that have genes that are too closely related it leads to genetic diseases, infertile offspring, underdeveloped offspring that may not survive, and other serious problems.    A new study looking at the genetics of the vaquita sponsored by NOAA Fisheries, UCLA, University of Washington, United Nations Development Program in Mexico, the Center for Research in Ecology and Evolution of Disease in France, and Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences in the Netherlands may have an answer for us. The study published in May 2022 used tissue samples collected by Mexican researchers beginning in the 1980s. In an article on the NOAA Fisheries website, Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho, a co-author of this study, is quoted as saying, “Genomics gives us clues into the species' past but also lets us peer into the future. Despite the small numbers, the species could recover if we stopped killing them.”   What the study reveals is that the vaquitas population has always been small, compared to other marine mammals, fluctuating between 1,000 to 5,000 individuals over a period of 250,000 years. Why does this give researchers and conservationists hope for their survival? Quoting from the NOAA Fisheries article, “Smaller populations have less genetic variation from one animal to another, and fewer harmful mutations. Over time, when two animals with harmful traits occasionally mated, they produced compromised offspring that likely died. That process gradually purged many harmful traits from the population.”   The scientists involved with this research ran computer simulations based on the archived vaquita genetic samples. The simulations found that if we immediately stop the deaths of vaquitas in gill nets, they have a chance to recover. We can still save this amazing mammal from extinction, if we stop using gill nets in the Sea of Cortez.    I hope that they next thing we hear r about the vaquita is that their population numbers are on the rise. If not they will most likely become extinct by the end of 2023.   Thank you for joining me in learning about the vaquita.   Please visit porpoise.org to find out even more about the vaquita and to discover what you can do to help this unique animal.   Join me next week for a look at our first misunderstood animal, tarantulas.   (Piano Music plays)  This has been an episode of Ten Things I like About with Kiersten and Company. Original music written and performed by Katherine Camp, piano extraordinaire.

In this newscast: This month marks the 50th anniversary of the Marine Mammal Protection Act – and now, the federal government works with Tribes to manage animals for subsistence use; Ernestine Hayes' Blonde Indian is becoming an audiobook; The Sitka assembly issued a resolution to acknowledge Filipino American History Month; A Fairbanks woman is recycling glass bottles and jars by pulverizing them into sand

On today's Midday Report with host Terry Haines: A look at the Marine Mammal Protection Act on it's 50th anniversary, with a view from St Paul Island. Middle school students in Ketchikan have spent more than a month learning songs in languages from all around the world. And kindergarten and first-grade students in Anchor Point are learning how to play the violin at school. Students in the Homer OPUS program perform at the Alaska Superintendents Association conference at Lands End Resort on September 30, 2022. (Hope McKenney/KUCB) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to print (Opens in new window)

Commercial fishermen and longtime friends Paul Blaylock and Geoff Hylton join me for a wild podcast where we discuss the many factors involved with living in the Pacific Northwest and working in the Natural Resources industry. We talk about the many obstacles facing the Pacific Salmon fisheries, explain some common misconceptions, and provide our best ideas for how to fix everything. We also clear up misconceptions about the aliens that are often called "The Grays" and their support of local salmon fisheries. As fishermen and local residents, these young men have a uniquely privileged perspective into the world of fishing and fish management. It is very interesting to hear their opinions and the ways that they can clash with the common narrative. We also talk about: Fish Hatcheries, what are they? Do they work? Why do farmed fish smell like pumpkins!? Paul's new baby! Sexual harassment in Hollywood, California. Meditation for ass-health How to survive a tsunami Good times with the late, great Luke Jensen. Keywords: Hood to Coast Relay; Helium Comedy Club; Portland, Oregon; Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; salmon fishing; Columbia River; Bonneville Dam; Willapa Bay; logging; Buoy 10; Bristol Bay; Climate Change; WDFW; haters production; genetics; Columbia river guide boats; charter boats; Coho Charters; Sea Breeze Charters; Sea lions; Marine Mammal Protection Act; Orca; Great White Shark; Stellar Sea Cow; Cormorant; Ecology; Arctic Terns; Salmon Habitat restoration; mesothelioma; butt health; mediation; violence, poverty, noxious weeds; gender pronouns; James Webb telescope; the grays; Elon Musk; SpaceX; male pattern baldness; Branded Bills Hats; Astoria Birth Center; elk hunting; muzzle-loader; Parmesan; shave gel; tsunami; Luke Jensen; Xbox; video games; PBS kids; Wild Krats; camping; travel; Yosemite National Park; enjoying your life. News Links: Pollution is Shrinking Human Penises, Science Says. Vice. March 22, 2021. Retrieved from https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5b4bq/pollution-shrinking-human-penis-sperm-count-fertility (https://www.vice.com/en/article/g5b4bq/pollution-shrinking-human-penis-sperm-count-fertility) Music: The Sunny Side of the Beat, John Runefeldt. Going North, John Bjork. Colors of Light, Aoroa. Luv, Bomull. Still Fly, Revel Day. Show Links: https://my.captivate.fm/Patreon.com/ramblebytheriver (Patreon) https://my.captivate.fm/Ramblebytheriver.com (Website) https://www.facebook.com/jeff.nesbitt.9619/ (Facebook) https://instagram.com/ramblebytheriver (Instagram)  https://twitter.com/rambleriverpod (Twitter) https://my.captivate.fm/Ramblebytheriver.captivate.fm (Episode catalogue) Business: ramblebytheriver@gmail.com

Our guest for this one is Capt. Eric Pfirrmann, Lead Captain for Save the Bay here in Rhode Island. As some of you more astute listeners may recall, Eric was my first ever guest when I embarked upon this experimental journey.We begin with an update on the Save The Bay fleet, and Eric brings us up to speed on their latest addition, as well as some of the future roles he foresees that craft playing at Save The Bay. He gives us a bit of background on the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, and the influence it's had on the seals we see here in Narragansett Bay. That of course leads us to a discussion of the current seal watch tours Save The Bay operates. Eric tells us everything we need to know to have an enjoyable trip with his team - good binoculars are a plus - and how to dress and just be prepared in general.Finally, he talks about the annual Save The Bay Swim with some insight into the planning and logistics that go into organizing this event. You can learn more and book seal tours by visiting SaveBay.org. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This episode opens at the dawn of the environmental movement in America. It may come as a surprise to you that Richard Nixon is considered second only to Theodore Roosevelt as the greenest of all our Presidents. Several historians consider Nixon's environmental record his second biggest achievement.Nixon's secret to success was pretty simple.He found good people and then let them run the ball down the field. As they have often noted he had little interest in the issue, and was not an expert in it, so he found those who were experts in it and then he supported their efforts. He founded the Environmental Protection Agency, the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, The Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the list goes on and on. Richard Nixon  really set a high bar for commonsense approaches to environmental issues. Something we could all learn from today. Richard Nixon also had an enormously rare opportunity to appoint four Supreme Court Justices including picking the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Here you will hear him discuss this enormous opportunity to shape the laws of our land he was given and the two other appointments he made that ended in failure too.  It was a fascinating look at a rare opportunity for any President. Finally, Richard Nixon makes some very difficult decisions about how to deal with North Vietnamese supply chains running through neighboring neutral Cambodia.  Nixon finally decides to go after the Ho Chi Minh Trail and cut those supply routes in what was arguably the most controversial decision of the Vietnam War. He would cross the border and order military operations in Cambodia. It would be one of the most effective decisions of the war but lead to upheaval here at home. 

Beginning right here on campus, this week's offering at the I. G. Greer cinema is the German-language documentary “Final Account.” According to reporting by the Rolling Stone, Final Account is the story of the last surviving generation of Germans who participated in Hitler's Germany during the Second World War. The film, documented over the course of ten years, features dozens of interviews with Germans involved at varying degrees with the regime and provides an unflinching glimpse into the lasting brainwashing of Nazi-ism. Showtimes are at 7pm and 9:30, tickets are $2 at the door! Next up, in local Boone news, an update from the Watauga Democrat about a story from earlier this month. The Cottages of Boone are still under fire for their discharge of over 4000 gallons of untreated sewage waste into the Laurel Fork Creek on September 14th, accruing a third civil penalty for the dump from the NC Department of Environmental Quality. Quoting Andy Hill, the Watauga Riverkeeper, “this is a pattern of negligence that is unacceptable.” The Cardinal Group, owners of the Cottages, declined to comment for the Democrat at the time of publication. On the national level, NPR reports bad news for all our dolphin-swimmin' lovin' Mountaineers, as The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ruled that getting within 50 yards of a spinner dolphin, Hawaii's most famous of the playful, nocturnal, previously companionable mammals, is illegal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. This is a hit to the Hawaii tourism industry, where dolphin swimming is very popular, but fortunately for all of us here in Boone, the new guidelines don't seem too rough of a loss. Finally, our weather update, courtesy of Boone Weather.com. This weekend is looking like a return to slightly cooler weather on Friday, but highs will all be staying just above 70 degrees, with only mildly cloud cover to break up the weekend sunshine!

Whether it's the "cute factor," their intelligence, or the mysterious nature of their lives under the sea, marine mammals capture our attention. Unfortunately, these amazing animals (this group includes everything from sea otters to manatees to whales) also face a wide variety of threats. But there's good news here! This week, Casey and Sara discuss the Marine Mammal Protection Act here in the United States, as well as other international regulations and agreements that are protecting marine mammals worldwide. Show notes for this episode can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/algep115

Spring and summer represent the peak season when newly weaned seals and sea lion pups strand along the California coastline. Celebrating its 50th year, the Pacific Marine Mammal Center has rescued, rehabilitated, and returned approximately 10,000 animals since its humble start by a concerned lifeguard prior to the creation of the landmark conservation legislation known as the Marine Mammal Protection Act. While many marine mammal populations have recovered in recent decades, threats to their survival from starvation, pollution, climate change, entanglement, and disease have only increased in number and severity. In addition to treating animals, the center focuses on public education and original research to help alleviate these emerging threats. That Sounds Wild: Stellar Sea Lion Animal Care Software KONG Zoo Zoo Logic ZOOmility

Episode Notes Orca Nerd Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/OrcaNerdPodcast Loro Parques' Website (Morgans' Story)-https://www.loroparque.com/morgan/index_en.html Free Morgan Foundation-https://www.freemorgan.org/ CITES and Marine Mammal Protection Act paper-https://www.freemorgan.org/spiegl-visser-2015-white-paper-whale-laundering/ Dr. Ingrid Visser TED TALK-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs9wgDalC3s&t=676s With love -Orca Nerd Support Orca Nerd by contributing to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/orca-nerd Find out more at https://orca-nerd.pinecast.co This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

I feel as though my first lesson in web food ecology was learning about the dynamics between the Sea Otter, Sea Urchin, and the Kelp Forest. When one is out of balance (i.e. population is up or down) then it affects all of the other species.  When Europeans settled along the West Coast of North America, they hunted Sea Otters for their pelts. The Sea Otters nearly went extinct. Environmental protection from the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act increased the Sea Otter population, but not everywhere.  The Sea Otters are not found off the coast of Northern California, just North of Monterey Bay where the Kelp Forests have decreased by 90% over the past decade. However, in Monterey Bay the Kelp Forests have only decreased by 60% (still not great, but significantly better than to the North). The reason? There is a presence of Sea Otters in Monterey Bay and they are keeping the Sea Urchin population in check. Link to Article: https://www.kpbs.org/news/2021/may/04/sea-otters-guardians-monterey-bays-kelp-forest/ 

Jacob Moore loves to make things. As the founder and lead craftsman at Jacob's Hammer and assistant distiller at Adrift Distillers in Long Beach, Washington, you can always find him deep in the process of creation. He makes booze, sour kraut, and opportunities. He views life as an adventure to be sipped-and-savored. Listen-in as he and Jeff talk homemade fermented foods, surfing, and natural resources. We cover the fungi that lives beneath our feet, the bacteria that lives in our gut, and the passion that lives in our hearts (not to mention the mold in our lungs). Jeff vents about his hatred of people who illegally dump trash in the woods, and even teaches Jake his favorite beach game to play with the kids: Who can find the first used needle? This is a really fun conversation and I hope you enjoy! Topics/keywords: Culture, aquaculture, agriculture, horticulture, fermentation, lacto-fermentation, bacterial, fungi, sour kraut, Kimchi, micro-biome, gut bacterial, Adrift Distillers, Matt Lessnau, high school band, bullying, guitar, Dire Straights, music, Willapa Bay, airboats, Spartina alterniflora, Willapa National Wildlife Refuge, wetlands, estuary, alternative lifestyles, Greg Rekart, waves, atmospheric pressure, ocean waves, wave dynamics, “feeling bottom”, energy, surfing, wave barrel, climate, trade winds, Hawaii, Oahu, NOAA, tide charting, artificial intelligence, shortboard, longboard, big wave surfing, Waikiki Beach, Cape Disappointment State Park, Washington Coast, ocean photography, Eddie Aiko, Waimea Bay, Eddie Aikau, surf competition, Olympic lifting, weight lifting, menstrating dogs, toddlers, Marine Mammal Protection Act (1972), Nixon, National Wilderness, travel, germ theory, tetanus, human skin, biotechnology, staph infection, MRSA, “Find the used needle”, littering, Columbia River, Beach Clean-up, Sand Island, styrofoam waste, furniture off-gassing, new car smell, olfactory sensation, allergies, oysters, Willapa Bay Oyster Growers Association, ghost shrimp, burrowing shrimp, carbaryl, imidacloprid, eel grass, Zostera japonica, Zostera marina, Wright Flyer, Smithsonian Institute, University of Washington, Environmental Studies, mold, FCC, Joe Rogan, memes, Dogecoin, Bitcoin, cryptocurrencies, Shiba inu, Elon Musk, Mark Cuban, inflation, Mana, Decentraland, Federal Reserve, oligarchy, Dr. Kim Patten, Washington State University extension, fish nerds, coastal people, reading, audiobooks, books, literacy, journaling, divorce, emotional intelligence, meditation, mindfulness, Headspace, chakras, ancient wisdom, impulsivity, falling in love, prophetic dreams, alcoholism, Jacob’s Hammer, Links: Jacob's Hammer instagram: @Jacobs_hammer_ Business inquiries/guest booking: Ramblebytheriver@gmail.com Website: https://my.captivate.fm/Ramblebytheriver.captivate.fm (Ramblebytheriver.captivate.fm) Facebook: Jeff Nesbitt (Ramble by the River)https://www.facebook.com/jeff.nesbitt.9619 (https://www.facebook.com/jeff.nesbitt.9619) Instagram: https://instagram.com/ramblebytheriver?r=nametag (@ramblebytheriver) Twitter: @RambleRiverPod Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCNiZ9OBYRxF3fJ4XcsDxLeg (https://youtube.com/channel/UCNiZ9OBYRxF3fJ4XcsDxLeg) Music Credit(s): Still Fly, Revel Day. Music Credits: Too Excited, Mica Emery.

Welcome to episode 451 of The Whole View! This week, Stacy and Sarah address the health benefits, the question of sustainable seafood and Seaspiracy as a whole.    If you enjoy the show, please review it on iTunes! The Whole View, Episode 451: ConspiraSEA: Is Sustainable Seafood Impossible? Welcome back to episode 451! (0:28) Stacy and Sarah have received many questions on Netflix new documentary, Seaspiracy.  Stacy took almost eight pages of notes, while Sarah has also prepared many sea-related puns for you. First off, the name ConspiraSEA was right there, and she totally feels they missed the boat (ha!) on that one.  Stacy also mentions they gathered thirteen pages between them to ensure you are provided with as much information as possible and not just Stacy and Sarah's opinions. The message the show tries to deliver is the opposite of this show's top recommendations.  Stacy could tell within minutes that the filmmakers had an agenda. She and Sarah plan to review the science-based facts from the claims made in the film.  The goal is to help listeners navigate safe, sustainable seafood because despite what the film attempts to present, seaweed and plant-based options do not compare to the health benefits. So Stacy and Sarah want to dive right in. (Get it?)      Benefits of Seafood It's important to emphasize what we'd be missing out on if the premise that sustainable fishing is impossible is true. (4: 01) Eating more seafood can reduce cardiovascular disease and prevent obesity and diabetes. High amounts of vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, fats, and protein all contribute to these benefits. (Intro to Nutrivore) Fish is a great source of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, B12 and E, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, copper, potassium and selenium. Oily, cold-water fish provide substantial amounts of vitamin A and vitamin D as well. Fish with bones remaining (such as canned salmon and sardines) are the best dietary sources of calcium in the food supply. Marine fish are an excellent dietary source of iodine. High Selenium Content protect against some cancers,  enhance bone health,  maintain thyroid health,  reduce the risk of infection, assist in DNA production, and  protect the body from free radical damage Omega-3 Fats EPA and DHA reduce inflammation,  lower blood pressure,  protect against some cancers (including breast),  increase insulin sensitivity, and  improve endothelial function Improves gut microbiome composition Salmon  Or any fish with a similar salmon-pink or orange color also contains the antioxidant carotenoid astaxanthin. helps reduce LDL oxidation boosts HDL levels, and  protects against skin damage.   Fish protein is the BEST! Also supports a healthy, diverse gut microbiome (in addition to omega-3s) - better than any other protein source: beef, pork, chicken, soy, casein, and pea. (11:20) Many fish benefits are mediated via protein, and fish protein is easy to digest.  In a meta-analysis of five prospective cohort studies, lean whitefish's high consumption reduced the risk of stroke by 19% (which was even more than fatty fish intake, which reduced stroke risk by 12%).  A study of Swedish women shows that three servings of lean fish per week reduced the risk of stroke by 33% compared to zero servings per week.  In Norwegian men, weekly lean fish consumption (including whitefish) was associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome, lower triglyceride levels, and higher HDL cholesterol.  Likewise, a randomized crossover trial found that simply adding 100 grams per day of whitefish (Namibia hake) to the diet significantly lowered waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, and LDL levels!  And another trial found that eating 150 grams of cod per week caused significantly greater weight loss in young overweight adults than a same-calorie diet without seafood.   Seaspiracy "Documentary" Sarah poses the question: what if eating fish and shellfish is destroying the ocean ecosystem and is actually full of toxins? (17:30) This is what Seaspiracy claims, so let's talk about this propaganda. Stacy reminds us documentaries are a filming style, and the information contained within is not regulated.  They can be amazing ways to learn about history or science. They can also be manipulative propaganda. So just because it's in documentary format does not mean it's news or that it's true. This documentary was made by the same people who made What the Health and Cowspiracy. What the Health… is Wrong With This Documentary?! Handling Critics, Conflicts and Vegans We don't want to get into a point-by-point discussion but let's bust the two biggest myths purported by this documentary: Sustainable Seafood Claims The "movie" claims that there's no such thing as sustainable seafood what so ever. Commercial fishing is destroying the oceans.  They claim fisheries aren't regulated, and fish farms are even worse. Also, the proportion of fish sold in the U.S. is caught illegally, and the ""sustainably caught label is meaningless. The second claim is that we should all be vegan. Seafood is full of toxins (like mercury and PCBs) and microplastics. It's destroying the oceans, and we can get the same nutrients from algae.   What is Sustainable Fishing? Sarah adds that her first research job in college was research for the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans. (22:01) It entailed actually doing research for sustainable salmon fishing. They even published a paper based on her research!  The United States is recognized as a global leader in sustainable seafood because we rely on strong science, responsive management, and enforced compliance. Fish, shellfish, and marine algae are renewable resources because they reproduce and replenish their populations naturally.  That means we can sustainably harvest fish within certain limits without depleting their populations.  Sustainability has two basic steps: Scientists perform a stock assessment to recommend how much fish should be harvested. Fishery managers and regulators follow and enforce that recommendation. Fishery management uses science to determine these limits and entails catching some fish while leaving some to reproduce and replace the fish that are caught. What It Means For Sustainability The United States is actually a global leader in seafood sustainability in general. Interesting enough, Stacy notes the "documentary" left this detail out entirely. (25:03) The argument centers around that our global population are rising, but our global abundance of wild fish is not.  Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N. (FAO) estimates that 66% of fisheries are sustainable, contributing 78.7% of consumed seafood.  This means there's room for improvement since 20% of the fish eaten in the world are from overfishing.  However, this doesn't mean give up on fish. It means you need to be an informed consumer! One of the amazing things about our oceans is that fish stocks can recover and replenish if they are managed carefully for the long term.  Some stocks that have come back from the brink include the Patagonian toothfish in the Southern Oceans.  Other examples include the recovery of Namibian hake, after years of overfishing by foreign fleets, or the increase in some of our major tuna stocks globally.  Research shows that fish stocks that are well-managed and sustainable are also more productive in the long term. This means there is more seafood for our growing global population. Outlying Scientific Data on Sustainable Seafood In 2006, a study predicted a global collapse of fish species and empty oceans by 2048. However, it was later busted here: https://sustainablefisheries-uw.org/fisheries-2048/  Stacy adds that while watching the "documentary," she noted all the studies referenced were at least 5 years old.  Sarah mentions that when she comes across studies considered "outliers" and goes against most other data, she looked a bit closer at the details.  Nowadays, we're seeing many of these "outlier" articles being overly weighted and fueling pseudoscience claims on the internet. She notes that it doesn't mean that they are necessarily wrong. We just need to look a bit more critically at the science to figure out what exactly is happening.    Commercial Fishing is Highly Regulated Stacy notes one important aspect she learned from the "documentary" is that people can be bribed anywhere. (38:06) She adds that given details in contrast to the "documentary" agenda can be cut out to strengthen the case. Because bribery exists, the "documentary" claims you can't believe anything anyone in the industry says. However, they fail to provide any instances of this so-called bribery. Commercial fishing is not equivalent to CAFO's or industrial farming. All it means is catching fish to sell. It can be done large scale, but the industry is highly regulated. In fact, U.S. fishermen abide by some of the most rigorous environmental measures in the world. Both large and small scale fishing boats are regularly inspected to ensure fisheries are protected, and we're abiding by sustainable seafood guidelines.  Fishery management in the United States is guided by several laws, including the Magnuson-Stevens Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and Endangered Species Act. 10 national standards of sustainability manage U.S. fisheries. These standards aim to prevent overfishing, protect other species and habitat, and minimize bycatch on non-target species.  It is the case that some fish sold in the U.S. were caught elsewhere.  If you're looking to uphold sustainability, ensure you shop local or see where the fish was caught, or the fishery is located. It's important to note that the main economy of Pacific island nations is fishing. So outlawing the sustainable seafood industry would result in their economy's collapse.   Farm Fishing Isn't Evil Stacy notes one claim the "documentary" makes is that fish farms have a "organic waste" (aka the fish poop in the water). (51:35) Fish poop is not a toxic substance and used as food for organisms like algae.  Aquaculture, or farming in water, plays a critical role in ensuring that our need for seafood is met sustainably. It's also a resource-efficient way of increasing and diversifying U.S. seafood production.  The future of sustainable seafood must include both farm-raised and wild-capture seafood!  Increasingly, seafood farming (if done responsibly as it is in the United States) is recognized as one of the most environmentally sustainable ways to produce food and protein. We discussed antibiotics use and "coloring" in farmed fish in Episode 366: Seafood Safety Concerns. Sarah notes there's a mandatory withdrawal period for each type of antibiotic fed to fish before the fish can be slaughtered. So, there is ample time to make sure there's no residuals in the meat by the time we eat them.  Additionally, the dye used is actually astaxanthin: the same red carotenoid pigment found in red algae makes wild fish flesh that distinctive color. It's an important antioxidant and makes them healthier!  Because of feed ingredients, the nutrient profile of farmed fish usually isn't as good as wild. But, it's still a great choice! Marine Stewardship Council Certification At Whole Foods, the seafood counter displays blue labels from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), an international, nonprofit organization. (58:52) The MSC is a prime example of an economic trend: private groups, not the government, tell consumers what is good or bad for the environment.  The MSC says its label guarantees that the wild seafood was caught using methods that do not deplete the natural supply.  It also guarantees that fishing companies do not cause serious harm to other life in the sea, from coral to dolphins. Unilever and the World Wildlife Fund joined hands in 1997 to establish MSC as an independent not-for-profit, more than 20 years ago over concerns about overfishing,  This certification process is not carried out by the MSC. It is independent and carried out by expert assessment bodies. Also, it's an entirely transparent process, and NGOs and others have multiple opportunities to provide input.  All the assessments can be viewed online at Track a Fishery.  Only fisheries that meet the rigorous requirements of Standard get certified. Check out their rebuttal to Seaspiracy here! Other labels to look for: The Monterey Bay Aquarium labels products like a traffic light — green, yellow or red — to urge shoppers to buy or avoid a particular fish.  The Blue Ocean Institute has a similar system. The Tuna Tracking and Verification Program (TTVP), established under the Dolphin Protection Consumer Information Act, is how NOAA Fisheries monitors compliance with dolphin-safe tuna labeling. (Reference) What about the BAP cert for responsibly farmed fish? This topic is very important to Sarah and Stacy, and they want to make sure they're supporting the right companies and share this with listeners for their own knowledge.   Conspiracies The "documentary" claims that sustainably sourced labels are lies and all dishonest. (1:12:20) It was organized in a very manipulative way where it starts with a fact but shows footage as a representative that isn't a fact.  Stacy shares these examples: Fact: enough single-line is used daily to wrap around the world 500x. This does not mean that much line is discarded into the ocean daily- just used.  It's phrased as though it's being dumped in the ocean every day, which it's not.  In fact, single line fishing is a good thing! Fact: 250,000 sea turtles are "captured, injured, or killed" in U.S. annually from fishing vessels.  When fact-checked, you realize that that number includes the ones returned to the ocean after capture or healing from injury. This species is protected now, so many are rescued and returned.  However, the "documentary" conveniently leaves that out to manipulate the impact of the number.  Sarah adds that we are biologically herbivores (solely plants) or carnivores (solely meat) but omnivores. This means our body is designed to gain nutrients from a combination plant and meat diet.    Fish Toxins Can't we just eat algae? No- it's not the same as seafood. By this logic, we'd get the same nutrients eating grass that we do from eating beef. Stacy and Sarah did a whole episode on it: TPV Podcast Episode 366: Seafood Safety Concerns. There have been a few European studies showing a U-shaped response curve to fish consumption. Moderate fish consumption reduces all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease risk. However, higher fish consumption increases the risk of all-cause mortality.  The studies have postulated that this may be due to increased exposure to some of the toxins that can accumulate in fish. These toxins include methylmercury, dioxins, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) However, this isn't seen in North American or Asian cohorts studies where fish is equally as likely to contain these toxins.  The authors of a rigorous 2017 meta-analysis proposed an alternate explanation for a U-shaped curve in Europe. Traditional preparations of fish in many parts of Europe include deep-frying, pickling, or salting.  This high-salt and/or trans-fatty acid intake may be to blame for the higher all-cause mortality seen with higher fish consumption. What about microplastics? We've talked about single-use plastics on the show before in TPV Podcast Episode 352: Sustainability & Mother Earth. Also, Sarah has written about it here: https://www.thepaleomom.com/my-journey-towards-zero-waste/ Plastic pollution is a problem! They did get that right. For more information on this, see articles here and here. But solving this problem doesn't include avoiding seafood (buy sustainably caught). Look to lower your carbon footprint, reduce the use of single-use plastics, avoid cycling, recycle properly, and look to reusable bags and containers. There are better ways to learn about how to protect our oceans: Planet Earth documentary Blue Planet Nova National Geographic Scientific American magazine Where Do Stacy and Sarah Get Fish? My favorite source is ButcherBox  https://www.butcherbox.com/thepaleoview Stacy has a local fishmonger at farmer's market, plus Costco, Trader Joe's - tons of vendors now sell Alaskan and/or certified sustainable seafood Farmed shrimp, Alaskan / farmer's market salmon, dolphin-safe line-caught tuna, local shellfish Great Resources https://sustainablefisheries-uw.org/start-here/ https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/5-things-you-should-know-about-sustainable-seafood https://www.msc.org/media-centre/news-opinion/news/2021/03/26/response-to-netflix-seaspiracy-film https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31932439/  https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/microplastics.html    Final Thoughts Sarah reminds listeners that documentaries are not grounded in scientific fact and can be skewed. (1:31:40)  The truth is the oceans are in trouble and need help, just not wholly in the ways stressed in the "documentary" Seacpiracy.  We need to look at this practice to find an action we can walk away with feeling good about.  If you haven't joined the Patreon family yet, joining supports this podcast and provides you with bonus content on what Stacy and Sarah really feel.  Thank you so much for listening, and we'll see you next week!

Seaspiracy completely dismissed dolphin-safe labels on tuna as corrupt and a failure; however, they did not look at the differences between the labels and the regulations in various countries.  The US has regulations for companies that say their tuna is dolphin-safe and it stems from their Marine Mammal Protection Act and an Amendment that goes back to 1990. The program decreased the mortality of dolphins from 130,000, in 1987, to less than 1,000 in 2018 (mortality has been less than 1,000/year since 2011).  These numbers are only in the US and it does not include the problems internationally, but it is progress and has saved hundreds of thousands of dolphins. Links To Article: 1) https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/how-dolphin-safe-is-canned-tuna 2) https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/how-to-pick-most-dolphin-safe-tuna 3) https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/retrieveECFR?gp=&SID=0aa891101f20fbb49bed1f1430d45014&r=PART&n=50y10.0.1.3.2#sp50.10.216.h Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group. Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue Check out the Shows on the Speak Up For Blue Network: Marine Conservation Happy Hour Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2k4ZB3x Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2kkEElk Madame CuriosityApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2xUlSax Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2V38QQ1 ConCiencia Azul: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2k6XPio Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2k4ZMMf Dugongs & Seadragons: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lB9Blv Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2lV6THt Environmental Studies & Sciences Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lx86oh Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2lG8LUh Marine Mammal Science: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2k5pTCI Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2k1YyRL Projects For Wildlife Podcast: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Oc17gy Spotify: https://spoti.fi/37rinWz Ocean Science RadioApple Podcast: https://apple.co/3chJMfA Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3bnkP18 The Guide To Mindful Conservation: Dancing In Pink Hiking Boots:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/31P4UY6 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3f7hDJw

The Manatee population in Florida is doing much better since being added the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act in the 1970s. The population has increased from 600 to over 8000 individuals; however, there are still some things that we can do to make sure humans and our technology do not harm them or kill them, including making sure that the Manatee sensors on Flood Gates work.  Link to Article: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/environment/fl-ne-manatees-deaths-2020-20210211-iysem4xpbnetbfmkw77k6wg4k4-story.html Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group. Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue Check out the Shows on the Speak Up For Blue Network: Marine Conservation Happy Hour Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2k4ZB3x Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2kkEElk Madame CuriosityApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2xUlSax Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2V38QQ1 ConCiencia Azul: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2k6XPio Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2k4ZMMf Dugongs & Seadragons: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lB9Blv Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2lV6THt Environmental Studies & Sciences Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lx86oh Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2lG8LUh Marine Mammal Science: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2k5pTCI Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2k1YyRL Projects For Wildlife Podcast: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Oc17gy Spotify: https://spoti.fi/37rinWz Ocean Science RadioApple Podcast: https://apple.co/3chJMfA Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3bnkP18 The Guide To Mindful Conservation: Dancing In Pink Hiking Boots:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/31P4UY6 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3f7hDJw  

The Southern Resident Orca Population is considered endangered in the US and Canada with less than 75 individuals left in the population. The reasons for this low number vary from being caught for marine theme parks such as SeaWorld in the 1960s-70s, the lack of salmon as the Orca population only eat salmon, and water pollution (including plastic pollution) that cause a build-up of toxic chemicals in their bodies. These factors require specific protections for the Orcas.  So it is quite surprising when the Navy is approved for drills in the area frequented by the Southern Resident Orca Population off the coast of Washington State. Navy drills are not new and are normally approved to "take" 1 or 2 marine mammals per year; however, now they are approved to "take" 51 Orcas per year until the year 2027. Will the Navy "take" this many? Probably not, but if they did, it would be okay. Unfortunately for the Orca population, it would result in the extirpation.  What is "take" you ask? To "take" a marine mammal means the attempted or actual harassment, hunting, capturing, or killing of any marine mammal. Normally, marine mammals such as Orcas are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act; however, the Navy has special approvals. Some of the drills that will be conducted will be firing torpedoes and projectiles, detonating bombs, piloting undersea drones, and using sonar.  It seems as though animal protection in the US means nothing unless it doesn't get in the way of the military or businesses. Do you agree? Link To Article: https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/military/article247078902.html Register for the Mindful Conservation Conference:  https://www.absolutelysmashingllc.com/mindful-conference Want To Talk Oceans? Join the Speak Up For Blue Facebook Group: http://www.speakupforblue.com/group. Speak Up For Blue Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakupforblue/ Speak Up For Blue Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakUpforBlue Check out the Shows on the Speak Up For Blue Network: Marine Conservation Happy Hour Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2k4ZB3x Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2kkEElk Madame CuriosityApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2xUlSax Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2V38QQ1 ConCiencia Azul: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2k6XPio Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2k4ZMMf Dugongs & Seadragons: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lB9Blv Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2lV6THt Environmental Studies & Sciences Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lx86oh Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2lG8LUh Marine Mammal Science: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2k5pTCI Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2k1YyRL Projects For Wildlife Podcast: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Oc17gy Spotify: https://spoti.fi/37rinWz Ocean Science RadioApple Podcast: https://apple.co/3chJMfA Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3bnkP18 The Guide To Mindful Conservation: Dancing In Pink Hiking Boots:Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/31P4UY6 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3f7hDJw

The Boys is off to a whale of a good time in season 2. Attorneys Josh Gilliland and Megan Hitchcock discuss the Battery and Employment Discrimination Based on a Disability of a Super-Hero, Extortion of S&M Supes, Murder of Government Officers, whether Homelander has any parental rights, hate crimes, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the case against Vought. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/thelegalgeeks)

Hey everyone! Today's episode is about if it is legal to keep a dolphin as a pet! The answer may surprise you! THANKS FOR LISTENING! New NFN Podcast every Wednesday! Be sure to give this podcast 5 stars! Shop Nature's Friend Lip Balm: https://www.etsy.com/listing/759967818/eco-friendly-orange-lip-balm-delicious?ref=shop_home_feat_1 Follow me on Social Media⇩ ♥︎Instagram: @naturesfriendinc ♥︎ Facebook: Rachels Rescues Wildlife Conservation ♥︎Instagram: rachelstengele References: US Fish and Wildlife Services. (2019). Marine Mammal Protection Act. Retrieved from https://www.fws.gov/international/laws-treaties-agreements/us-conservation-laws/marine-mammal-protection-act.html World Animal Protection. (2019). U.S. dolphin regulations. Retrieved from https://www.worldanimalprotection.us/our-work/animals-wild/marine-animals-captivity/us-dolphin-regulations https://www.worldanimalprotection.org/blogs/10-year-old-attacked-dolphins-dangers-wild-animal-interactions --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/rachel-pence/support

This week Dr. Chris Parsons interviews Dr. Lee Talbot. Lee has had a long and interesting career in ecology and conservation, but he was especially influential for being the writer of both the US Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. He tells us about how he managed to persuade President Nixon about the importance of conserving whales and dolphins, his role in ending commercial whaling, and also his interesting parallel career as a prize-winning racing car driver! 

In this episode we discuss boat diving etiquette, the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, and Sea Hunt – It's Still Alive – the Aquanettes. Boat diving is fun and convenient. Boats however are small and move around a lot and can present some challenges. With a little common sense and etiquette you can make it enjoyable for everyone. My number 1 rule for boat diving etiquette is to follow the boats rules even if they do things differently than you are accustom to doing. Be mindful of your gear. Don't spread it around. Follow the boats procedures for getting in and out of the water. If you want to do something different – just ask. Remember you are not just a paying customer on the boat you are also their guest. The Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 was signed into law on October 21, 1972. This act called for the protection of marine mammals with a moratorium on taking and importation of marine mammals and marine mammal products. It also called for the protection of marine mammals from commercial fishing operations and mandated the development of commercial fishing gear to eliminate harm to marine mammals. This law also established the Marine Mammal Commission and the Committee of Scientific Advisor that are both still active today. The Aquanettes is an episode from season 4 of Sea Hunt and aired on March 25, 1961. In this episode Mike is training 3 women "Astronettes" who are going on a mission to Venus. A little bit of science fiction for Sea Hunt. One of the women has some problems and panics a couple of times underwater and it causes a fight between two of the Aquanettes. Mike breaks up the fight by throwing them both in the water. One of the women decides to go in on her own to make up for her panic attack. Now Mike and the others must find the missing Aquanette. Sharks are in the area and causing a problem with the rescue. Mike is ready to fight off the man-eating shark with a knife but ultimately uses a spear gun to save the day. 

Chris Parsons talks to Dr. Jennifer Lewis about her research on Ganges river dolphins in Bangladesh as well as her change of career from a research biologist to a science communicator and documentary filmmaker. They talk about the use of storytelling to communicate science as well as Jennifer’s new documentary on environmental hero Professor Lee Talbot, the writer of the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act. 

Scott Breen is Associate Manager, Sustainability and Circular Economy Program with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Corporate Citizenship Center. In this role, Scott helps to strategize and execute program deliverables including events, resources, trainings, and reports that increase understanding of key circular economy and sustainability issues and showcase how companies are making their operations more sustainable and reflective of circular economy principles. Scott Breen started his career as an attorney-advisor at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). While at NOAA, Scott helped advise program staff as administrative rules went from public notice to final publication, brought enforcement actions against those that violated fisheries rules and regulations, and determined the legal sufficiency of agency actions such as the issuance of incidental harassment authorizations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Scott Joins Sustainable Nation to Discuss: Recycling and why collaborative efforts to increase it are so important right now Beyond 34: Recycling and Recovery for A New Economy State of the United States recycling markets and the circular economy Advice and recommendations for sustainability leaders Scott's Final Five Question Responses: What is one piece of advice you would give other sustainability professionals that might help them in their careers? So one is to generate content. I mentioned my podcast earlier and how it opened some doors for me, but just getting your name out there and some original thoughts, committing to doing something even just once a month, like writing a two paragraph blog post or something. It's something you can point to to show that I'm engaged on this issue, I'm trying to be a thought leader and it means you'll show up in Google and things like that. You won't know what doors will open. So I would encourage people to generate content. What are you most excited about right now in the world of sustainability? So I'm most excited about the emergence of venture capital and entrepreneurs in this space. We're seeing it in so many different areas. So one is oceans. Rob Kaplan, he just left Closed Loop Partners to start Circular Capital, which is going to invest in companies, innovations and projects that prevent marine plastic waste originating in Asia. This is really important that he started this because 60 percent of the plastic leaking into the ocean originates in just five countries - China, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. So he's going to make these strategic investments and we're going to see what interventions can scale and hopefully lead to other investors coming in too. Also in oceans there's the Sustainable Ocean Alliances new Ocean Solutions Accelerator. So Sustainable Ocean Alliance actually started a couple of years ago by a student at Georgetown. The alliance is going to catalyze solutions in a number of ways including this accelerator. The initial cohort of five companies includes a couple, one is a power company which is developing a next generation converter to harness energy from the ocean. And then others like Loliware. I first saw this on Shark Tank. They create seaweed based straws and cups that dissolve in about two months if you throw it away, or you could just eat it. I'm really excited to get my hands on that. Also in venture capital they have culture space, experiencing a digital revolution. Investors raised more money for ag tech startups in 2017 than the previous two years combined. There's the Urban Drinking Water Challenge 2018, where there's like a million dollars there to deploy and invest scalable water solutions for tomorrow's mega cities. And then lastly, Nexgen Cup challenge. Starbucks and Mcdonald's working together, inviting entrepreneurs to develop materials and design so they can replace today's cups. Big deal, because combined Starbucks and McDonald's distribute four percent of the world's 600 billion cups each year, so they can make a real impact. What is one book you would recommend sustainability leaders read? You got a lawyer on the show, so I am recommending Getting to Yes, which is more negotiation book than anything really sustainability oriented. It gives you really good negotiation tactics, and so many sustainability professionals, a lot of what we do is working with stakeholders, trying to get people to agree on things and work together. The key with this book is try not to think of things as win or lose. You want to get each person's interest out and then see if there's an option where everyone wins. What are some of your favorite resources or tools that really help you in the work that you do? I really like the EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator. It helps you put things in perspective. You can put in this tool a hundred metric tons of CO2 or methane, any greenhouse gas, and then it quickly calculates the equivalent in metrics that people can understand. Think number of homes of electricity use per year, passenger vehicles driven for one year. So it's more helpful to say "22 cars driving for one year were taken off the road from this program," than just, "We avoided a hundred metric tons of CO2." Something we really focus on in our podcasts when we're doing an introduction to the topic we're talking about is, "How can we say this in a different way that people get the context?" You and I were talking earlier about how there's so many freaking numbers out there. It's hard to keep track. Well, if you put it in a way that's more in a context that people can understand, they're more likely to remember it. The other resource is daily newsletters. Corporate ECO Forum has a weekly briefing. Greenbiz has great newsletters and they actually just launched one called Circular Weekly, focused on circular economy. More generally, I can't recommend enough The Weekend Briefing from Kyle Westaway. He has really good social technology articles, so sign up for those. Where can our listeners go to learn more about you and the work that you're leading at the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation? I post articles to my Twitter @Scottybreen. I also post what I'm doing professionally on LinkedIn. The best ways to keep up to date on what's going on at the Corporate Citizenship Center is to sign up for the newsletters. So with the CCC, go to USChamberFoundation.org. For the podcast www.sustainabilitydefined.com.

Are California Sea Lions at a stage of critical mass population wise? I think they are at capacity or even beyond. Justin Viezbicke NOAA Fisheries CA Stranding Coordinator www.noaa.gov, Shawn Clements Senior Policy Advisor for Oregon Fish & Wildlife www.dfw.state.or.us/ and US Rep. Jaime Herrera-Beutler, R-WA www.herrerabeutler.house.gov/ all on this episode to talk about Sea Lion issues. Rep. Herrera has introduced HR2038 as an ammendment to the Marine Mammal Protection Act to aid Washington, Oregon and Idaho from having several runs of fish facing extinction.

Two stories to discuss today: 1) The US is using the Marine Mammal Protection Act to make countries to thorough Cetacean surveys before they can ship fish to the US; and, 2) A recent CBC report revealed that Canadians may not be recycling properly due to a major miscommunication as to what does and does not get recycled. You will be surprised at a few of the items that don't get recycled. Enjoy the Podcast!!! I would love to hear your opinion on this episode. Join the Facebook Group to chime in. Do you know we launched more Ocean Related Podcasts? Subscribe to Marine Conservation Happy Hour and ConCiencia Azul

Another shutdown, another dingleberry-filled temporary funding law! In this episode, learn about the new law that reopened the government after the 6 hour shutdown by providing funding until March 23 and be one of the few people in the country who will know about the random goodies that hitchhiked their way into law. Miranda Hannah joins Jen for the thank yous. Please Support Congressional Dish Click here to contribute using credit card, debit card, PayPal, or Bitcoin Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Recommended Congressional Dish Episodes CD147: Controlling Puerto Rico CD128: Crisis in Puerto Rico Additional Reading Article: Get ready: Here comes another bs* budget commission by Stan Collender, Forbes, March 4, 2018. Report: Let Pentagon carry over FY18 budget boost so money isn't wasted, key lawmaker says by Joe Goud, Defense News, February 22, 2018. Report: Key health care provisions of bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 by Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC, Lexology, February 22, 2018. Article: Can updated tax credits bring carbon capture into the mainstream? by Emma Foehringer Merchant, Green Tech Media, February 22, 2018. Article: The shutdown clock is still ticking and that causes chaos throughout the government by Deirdre Shesgreen, USA Today, February 19, 2018. Report: Congress passes legislation to help foster children weather opioid epidemic by Lizzy Francis, Fatherly, February 13, 2018. Report: USA extends nuclear tax credit deadline, World Nuclear News, February 12, 2018. Report: House passes stopgap spending bill to end government shutdown by Lindsey McPherson, Roll Call, February 9, 2018. Report: The health 202: Republicans kill Obamacare's controversial "death panel" by Paige Winfield Cunningham, The Washington Post, February 9, 2018. Article: Why this tax bill may accidentally give huge leverage to the Freedom Caucus next year by Catherine Rampell, The Washington Post, December 20, 2017. Report: CMS announces big expansion to Medicare Advantage value-based insurance design model by Leslie Small, Fierce Healthcare, November 22, 2017. Report: House votes to repeal ObamaCare's Medicare cost-cutting board by Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, November 2, 2017. Article: The pros and cons of switching to a Medicare Advantage Plan by John Bulliner, Medicare.com, January 24, 2017. Article: A single senator is blocking reform of the foster care system by Ryan Grim, Huffpost, December 6, 2016. Article: A sweeping reform of the foster care system is within reach but hanging by a thread by Ryan Grim, Jason Cherkis, and Laura Barron-Lopez, Huffington Post, December 2, 2016. Article: Congress to consider scaling down group homes for troubled children by Joaquin Sapien, ProPublica, May 20, 2015. Additional Viewing Hearing: A way back home: Preserving families and reducing the need for foster care, US Senate Committee on Finance, August 4, 2015. Hearing: No place to grow up: How to safely reduce reliance on foster care group homes, US Senate Committee on Finance, May 19, 2015. Bill Outline H.R. 1892: Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018   Division A: Honoring Hometown Heroes Act Sec. 10102: Allows the flag to be flown at half staff when a first responder dies at work. Division B: Supplemental Appropriations, Tax Relief, and Medicaid Changes Relating to Certain Disasters and further extension of continuing appropriations Title I: Gives $2.36 billion to the Department of Agriculture, available until the end of 2019, to pay for "expenses related to crops, trees, bushes, and vine losses" caused by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and other hurricanes and wildfires that took place in 2017. Companies who have crop insurance can have 85% of their losses covered by our tax money Companies who didn't buy crop insurance can have up to 65% of their losses covered by our money Title I: Gives $14 million to Puerto Rico's food program but says the money is for infrastructure grants for infrastructure damaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria Sec. 20101: Changes the law to allow livestock producers to collect payments for cows they sold at reduced prices, instead of just dead ones, and eliminates the $20 million cap on total payouts for livestock producers. Sec. 20201: Orders the Secretary of Commerce to issue a waiver within 120 days of the provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act which prohibit the capture of marine mammals for three infrastructure projects designed to reduce land loss in Louisiana. It says the waiver for the projects "will remain in effect for the duration of the construction, operations and maintenance of the projects. No rule-making, permit, determination, or other condition or limitation shall be required when issuing a waiver pursuant to this section." Title IV: Gives $15 billion to the Army Corps of Engineers to repair damages caused by natural disasters $10 billion has to be spend in areas impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria Repairs made in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands "shall be conducted at full Federal expense" Title V: Provides $1.652 billion for the "Disaster Loans Program Account" but $618 million of that can be spend on "administrative expenses to carry out the disaster loan program" Title VI: Adds $23.5 billion to FEMA's "Disaster Relief Fund" Sec. 20604: Adds religious institutions to the definition of a "Private Nonprofit Facility", which makes them eligible to receive tax money for disaster aid services. Sec. 20605: Says the Federal government will pay 90% of the costs for 2017 wildfire disasters. Title XI: Provides $1.374 billion for the Federal highway "Emergency Relief Program", with the Federal government paying 100% of the costs for Puerto Rico Title XI: Provides $28 billion in disaster relief for housing and infrastructure. $11 billion must be spent on areas hit by Hurricane Maria $2 billion of that will be spent on upgrades to electrical power systems Sec. 20102: Allows victims of wildfires in CA to borrow up to $100,000 from their own retirement accounts and pay it back within 3 years. Sec. 20103: Allows companies that had to close due to wildfires to get a credit for up to 40% of their employees' wages, up to $6,000 each. Sec. 20104: Suspends limitations on charitable contributions made before December 31, 2018 for relief efforts in the California wildfire disaster area Sec. 20301: Provides an extra $3.6 billion for Puerto Rico and $106 million for the US Virgin Islands for Medicaid Puerto Rico can get $1.2 billion more if Puerto Rico implements a new process for transmitting data to the Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) and if it creates a Medicaid fraud control unit Subdivision 3: Extends 2017 government funding levels until March 23, 2018. Funds the census Forces the sale of $350 million worth of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Division C: Budgetary and other matters Sec. 30101: Sets the budget limits for 2018 and 2019 2018 $629 billion for defense $579 billion for non-defense 2019 $647 billion for defense $597 billion for non-defense Sec. 30102: Zeroes out the balances on the PAYGO budget scorecard. Sec. 30204: Requires the Secretary of Energy to sell 30 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve every year from 2022-2025 and 35 million per year in 2026 and 2027. Lowers the amount of oil we must have in reserves from 450 million barrels to 350 million barrels Sec. 30301: Suspends the debt ceiling entirely until March 1, 2019. Division D: Revenue Measures Subtitle A, Subtitle B, and Subtitle C: Extend 31 tax credits Sec. 40402: Extends until 2021 but then phases out tax credits for residential solar electricity, solar water heaters, small wind energy turbines, and geothermal heat pumps. Sec. 40411: Extends until 2022 and then phases out a 30% credit for fiber-optic solar, fuel cell, and small wind energy property, eliminating the credits entirely by 2024. Sec. 40501: Extends and expands tax credits for nuclear power facilities Sec. 41119: Extends an existing tax credit for carbon sequestration technology for 6 years and changes it so that more money is rewarded for each ton of carbon captured and eliminates a cap on how many tons were eligible for credits (it was 75 million tons). Division E: Health and Human Services Extenders Title I: Extends the authorization for the Children's Health Insurance Program through 2027 and adds $48 million per year for 2023-2027 for enrollment assistance. Title II: Extends Medicare programs Sec. 50302: Authorizes voluntary telehealth appointments for people receiving at-home dialysis treatments for end state renal disease, as long as they see a doctor in-person every 3 months. Sec. 50321: Expands a test program, which began in 2015 with 7 States, to all States. The program allows privately administered Medicare Advantage plans flexibility to design custom insurance plans for people with certain chronic diseases. Sec. 50322: Starting in 2020, privately administered Medicare Advantage plans will be able to offer extra benefits for people with chronic health conditions and uniformity requirements will be waived for those plans. Sec. 50323: Starting in 2020, privately administered Medicare Advantage plans can include "telehealth benefits" Sec. 50341: Starting sometime in 2019, some Medicare administrators will be allowed to offer incentives up to $20 to encourage seniors to encourage them to come to appointments with their primary care doctors. The money collected will not be considered taxable income. The Secretary of Health and Human Services can cancel this program at any time for any reason. Sec. 50412: Increased criminal and civil fines for Federal health care program fraud Sec. 50502: Updates the abstinence education program and increases funding from $50 million to $75 million in 2018 and 2019 Sec. 50711: Creates a program funding State efforts to provide mental health care, substance abuse treatment, and parenting counseling to parents in order to prevent their children from being placed in foster care. Sec. 50712: Allows foster care payments to be given to licensed residential treatment facilities if the facility welcomes the child to live with its parent as long as the facility provides parenting classes and family counseling. Sec. 50745: Requires States to require every child-care institution to run fingerprint-based checks of national crime information databases on any adult working in their facility. Sec. 50901: Funds Community Health Centers with $3.8 billion for 2018 and $4 billion for 2019 Sec. 52001: Repeals the Independent Payment Advisory Board Title XII: Offsets Sec. 53103: Requires Medicaid to count lottery winnings as income when determining Medicaid eligibility Sec. 53105: Rescinds $985 million from the Medicaid Improvement Fund, which is meant to improve oversight of Medicaid contracts and contractors. Sec. 53107: Reduces pay for outpatient physical and occupational therapists for care their assistant's provide to 85 percent of the rate that would have otherwise been paid. Sec. 53114: Increases the percentage that people who make over $500,000 per year pay for Medicare premiums from 80% to 85%. Sec. 53115: Empty's the Medicare Improvement Fund by eliminating all $220 million. Sec. 53116: Accelerates the closing of the prescription drug "donut hole" for seniors by moving up a decrease in out of pocket prescription costs to 25% by one year - it's now 2019 - and by increasing the percentage that drug manufacturers must discount their drugs from 50% to 70%. Sec. 53119: Cuts $1.35 billion from the Prevention and Public Health Fund over the next 10 years. Division G: Budgetary Effects Exempts the entire law from the PAYGO scorecard and the Senate PAYGO scorecards. Resources Bill Overview: H.J.Res. 45 Pay As You Go Act of 2010 Bill Summary: Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 Bill Scorecard: Pay-As-You-Go Act Scorecard August 4, 2017 Budget Notice: 2017 Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act Annual Report Committee on Finance Report: An Examination of Foster Care in the United States and the Use of Privatization Government Debt Info: The Debt to the Penny and Who Holds It Government Debt Info: Interest Expense on the Debt Outstanding Louisiana State Government: Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Infrastructure Projects Visual Resources 20 Years of Congress Budget Prograstination in One Chart Sound Clip Sources Senate Remarks: Senator Paul on Budget Cap Increases in Two-Year Budget, C-SPAN, February 8, 2018. Senator Rand Paul: The bill is nearly 700 pages. It was given to us at midnight last night, and I would venture to say no one has read the bill. No one can thoroughly digest a 700-page bill overnight, and I do think that it does things that we really, really ought to talk about and how we should pay for them. Senator Rand Paul: So the reason I’m here tonight is to put people on the spot. I want people to feel uncomfortable. I want them to have to answer people at home who said, how come you were against President Obama’s deficits, and then how come you’re for Republican deficits? Isn’t that the very definition of intellectual dishonesty? If you were against President Obama’s deficits and now you’re for the Republican deficits, isn’t that the very definition of hypocrisy? People need to be made aware. Your senators need to answer people from home, and they need to answer this debate. We should have a full-throated debate. Senator Rand Paul: You realize that this is the secret of Washington. The dirty little secret is the Republicans are loudly clamoring for more military spending, but they can’t get it unless they give the Democrats welfare spending, so they raise all the spending. It’s a compromise in the wrong direction. We should be compromising in the direction of going toward spending only what comes in. And yet this goes on and on and on. Senator Rand Paul: For the umpteenth time, Congress is going to exceed their budget caps. We had something passed back in 2010. It was called PAYGO. It was supposed to say, if you’re going to pay new money, you had to go find an offset somewhere else. You could only pay as you go. It was sort of like a family would think about it. If you’re going to spend some more money, you either got to raise your income or you’ve got to save some money. You know how many times we’ve evaded it since 2010? Thirty-some-odd times. Senator Rand Paul: So the bill’s going to exceed the budget caps by $296 billion. And that’s not counting the money they don’t count, all right? So these people are really, really clever. Imagine them running their fingers together and saying, how can we hide stuff from the American people? How can we evade the spending caps so we can be even more irresponsible than we appear? So, 296 is the official number; about $300 billion over two years that will be in excess of the budget caps. But there’s another $160 billion that’s stuck into something called an overseas contingency fund. The budget caps don’t apply there. So we’re $300 billion for two years over the budget caps; then we’re another 160 billion over the caps—they just don’t count it. They act as if it doesn’t matter; we’re just not going to count it. Senator Rand Paul: The spending bill’s 700 pages, and there will be no amendments. The debate, although it’s somewhat inside baseball that we’re having here, is over me having a 15-minute debate, and they say, woe is me; if you get one, everybody’ll want an amendment. Well, guess what? That would be called debate. That would be called an open process. That would be called concern for your country—enough to take a few minutes. And they’re like, but it’s Thursday, and we like to be on vacation on Fridays. And so they clamor. But we’ve been sitting around all day. It’s not like we’ve had 100 amendments today, we’re all worn out, we can’t do one more. We’re going to have zero amendments—zero, goose egg, no amendments. Senator Rand Paul: So over the past 40 years, four times have we actually done the right thing—passed 12 individual appropriation bills, bundled them together, have a budget, and try to do the right thing. You know, there’s no guarantee that everybody’ll be wise in their spending, but it’s got to be better; it can’t be worse. What do we do instead? It’s called a continuing resolution. We glom all the bills together in one bill, like we’ve done tonight—Republicans and Democrats clasping hands—and nobody’s going to look at it. Nobody’s going to reform the spending. As a consequence, wasteful spending is riddled throughout your government. Only four times in 40 years have we done the appropriation process the way we’re supposed to. Senator Rand Paul: The last thing I’ll get to is something called the debt ceiling. The debt ceiling is something that has been a limitation on how much we spend, and we have to vote on it, and it’s an unpleasant vote. And so they try to either do it for a long period of time or try to stretch it beyond elections. So this bill, the 700-page bill that no one read, that will continue all the spending and will not reform your government and is irresponsible—the one we will pass later tonight—that 700-page bill also allows the debt ceiling to go up. Historically, we would let the debt ceiling—our borrowing limit—we would let it go up a dollar amount. We’d say, well, we’ve got to borrow money, and it looks like we’re going to need a trillion dollars. But you know the way they do it now? It’s like everything else around here: We bend, break the rules, and then somehow there’s a little bit of deviousness to it. The debt ceiling will go up in an unspecified amount. So as much as you can borrow between now and November, go for it. So there is no limitation. The debt ceiling becomes not a limitation at all. Senator Rand Paul: And the media doesn’t even get it. The media does you such a disservice. They can’t even understand what’s going on sometimes. They’re like, bipartisanship has broken out. Hallelujah! Republicans and Democrats are getting along. And in reality, they should be telling you, look for your wallet; check your pants to make sure they haven’t taken your wallet, because when both parties are happy and both parties are getting together and doing stuff, guess what? They were usually looting the Treasury. And that’s what this bill does. It’s going to loot the Treasury. It spends money we don’t have. We will have a trillion-dollar deficit this year. Press Briefing: Presidential Remarks on Federal Spending, C-Span, June 9, 2009.   Community Suggestions Video: The Political Vigilante: Graham Learns About MMT Part 1  Video: The Political Vigilante: Graham Learns About MMT Part 2 See more community suggestions HERE.   Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

A proposal for licensing and permitting small UAV operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection grounds their fleet, quadcopters filming whales, and drinking and droning don't mix. Proposal for UAV/sUAV Licensing/Phased Permitting Plan Listener Tim Trott submitted a proposal for a collection of UAV classes, each with requirements for airframe type (multi-copter or fixed wing), weight, altitude, operation in private or public areas, VLOS or FPV, logging, observer requirements, safety and flight testing, insurance, and collision avoidance capability: Class E - Experimental/Photographic Under 5 pounds, VLOS only, under 100 feet above terrain, private property only (no public areas). No spectators within 25 feet. Observer required. Multicopter (sUAV) only. Insurance required (AMA or better). Airframe Certification form, logging required. Written safety test, Level E Proficiency flight test. Interim 1 year temporary permits pending full rule implementation. Class D - Motion Picture/Corporate/News/Journalist Under 20 pounds, VLOS only, limited to 400 ft above terrain unless flight plan filed and approved. Insurance required, private property only (no public areas without permit). Observer required. No spectators within 25 feet. Fixed wing and multicopter sUAV. Airframe Certification form, logging required. Written safety test, Level D Proficiency flight test. Class C - Agricultural/Industrial Under 25 pounds, FPV supervision, limited to 400 feet above terrain. Insurance required, private property only (no public areas). Observer required, no spectators within 25 feet. Fixed wing and multicopter UAV. Observer required. Airframe Certification form, logging required. Written safety test, Level C Proficiency flight test. Class B - Public Safety/Utility (Fire, rescue, public safety, pipeline and waterway monitoring) Under 30 pounds, FPV supervision. Under 400 feet above terrain, above 400 feet with filed flight plan. No spectators within 25 ft. Public and private airspace. Fixed wing and multicopter UAV. FAA Review. Collision Avoidance System required. (LIDAR) Airframe Certification form, logging required. Written safety test, Level B Proficiency flight test. Commercial/Private Pilot Rating accepted in lieu of written test. Class A - Heavy Class (State, Municipal, Federal Agency) Over 30 lbs, FPV supervision, under 400 feet above terrain, above 400 feet with filed flight plan, Insurance. Tracking or visual observer required, no spectators within 25 feet. Fixed wing and multicopter UAV. FAA Review. Collision Avoidance System required. (LIDAR) Airframe Certification form, logging required. Written safety test, Level A Proficiency flight test. Commercial Pilot Rating accepted in lieu of written test. Class O - Observer Requires written Basic Safety test. Proficiency Flight Test may be administered by designated certification instructor or licensed flight instructor. Safety Test would be comprised of questions relating to 400 foot height limits, knowledge of 500 foot limits for manned aircraft, restrictions related to airports and heliports, spectator distance, VLOS requirement, observer requirement, minimum flight distance from utilities, highways, railroads and buildings, other rules. Find Tim at Tim Trott Productions and Flying Eye Video. The News: U.S. Border Protection Agency Grounds Drone Fleet A U.S. Customs and Border Protection Predator B experienced mechanical failure and was unable to return to base. So the flight crew ditched the Predator in the Pacific Ocean and has grounded the fleet. The Predator B is flown by the CBP Office of Air and Marine. Is whale watching with drones next big trend? A California whale-watching organization used a quadcopter to create video of a whale at sea. This has created new questions about this type of UAV application. The Marine Mammal Protection Act makes it illegal to harass or alter the behavior of marine mammals.