Final signature count: 1

1 signatures toward our 30,000 goal

Whales and dolphins die in fishing nets every day. That fact does not stay offshore — it follows seafood across borders and onto American plates. For decades, U.S. fishermen have operated under strict rules limiting how many marine mammals they can accidentally catch and kill. Foreign fisheries selling to American consumers faced no such obligation. A federal rule finally changed that. Now NOAA wants to weaken it.^1,4

What the Law Requires

The Marine Mammal Protection Act has protected whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals since 1972. A provision within that law extends its logic to imports: any country that wants to sell fish or fish products in the United States must demonstrate that its fisheries meet bycatch standards comparable to those American fishermen follow.³ Bycatch — the accidental entanglement and death of marine mammals in commercial fishing gear — is one of the leading causes of population decline for ocean wildlife worldwide.

For fisheries that fail this evaluation, the result is clear: their seafood stays out of the U.S. market. NRDC identified the rule as a critical protection for critically endangered species like the North Atlantic right whale, the vaquita porpoise, and the Māui dolphin — animals that cannot survive even a small number of additional human-caused deaths each year.⁷

Early Signs of Progress — and Early Pushback

The comparability finding process is new. Some countries improved their practices in anticipation of the rule. Others received passing evaluations that conservation groups argue were not sufficiently rigorous.^2,5 Multiple organizations formally challenged those findings, contending that NOAA approved fisheries without adequate evidence that marine mammal deaths were under control.⁵ Environmental groups also went to court earlier this year, pressing the government to enforce the law as written rather than accommodate trading partners.³

NOAA Is Now Considering a Rollback

In late July 2026, NOAA opened a public comment process on potentially revising the very regulations that give this import standard its teeth.^1,4 The existing framework — years in development — has barely had a chance to protect a single population of whales or dolphins.⁶ Revising it now would allow seafood caught using methods that injure or kill marine mammals to return to American grocery stores and restaurant menus, with no label and no warning.

It would also send a signal to every trading partner that U.S. marine mammal protections are negotiable when economic pressure mounts.

Your Voice Matters in This Process

Public comments to federal agencies carry real weight. NOAA is legally required to read and respond to every comment submitted during a rulemaking process. A strong record of opposition creates an obstacle that decision-makers cannot set aside.

American consumers have the right to know if they are funding the killing of ocean wildlife abroad. That right depends on import standards with actual enforcement behind them.

Sign the petition now and tell NOAA to preserve — not weaken — the marine mammal protections that keep dolphin- and whale-safe seafood standards real.