Marine Mammal Unusual

What this funds

For FY 2027, NMFS estimates obligating $0 from the Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Event Fund. Provide funds to support investigations and responses to unusual marine mammal mortality events. An unusual mortality event (UME) is defined under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) as "a stranding that is unexpected; involves a significant die-off of any marine mammal population; and demands immediate response." Increased efforts to examine carcasses and live stranded animals have improved the knowledge of mortality rates and causes, allowing a better understanding of population threats and stressors and the ability to determine when a situation is "unusual." MMPA Section 405 (16 U.S.C. 1421d) establishes the Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Event Fund and describes its purposes and how donations can be made to the Fund. The Fund is an emergency response fund used to help cover expenses incurred by the volunteer Marine Mammal Stranding Network during a UME. Specifically, the fund: "shall be available only for use by the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior: to compensate persons for special costs incurred in acting in accordance with the contingency plan issued under section 1421c(b) of this title or under the direction of an Onsite Coordinator for an ' for reimbursing any stranding network participant for costs incurred in preparing and transporting tissues collected with respect to an unusual mortality event for the Tissue Bank; and, ' for care and maintenance of marine mammals seized under section 1374(c)(2)(D) of this title." According to the MMPA, deposits can be made into Fund in the following ways: ' "amounts appropriated to the Fund; ' other amounts appropriated to the Secretary for use with respect to unusual mortality events; and, ' amounts received by the United States in the form of gifts, devises, and bequests under subsection (d) of this section."

Extracted from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, p. 383. Verbatim; nothing here is paraphrased.

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