{"data":{"id":"us/16-u.s.c.-917","jurisdiction":"us","citation":"16 U.S.C. § 917","heading":"Congressional findings","body":"The Congress finds that—(1) whales are a unique resource of great aesthetic and scientific interest to mankind and are a vital part of the marine ecosystem; (2) whales have been overexploited by man for many years, severely reducing several species and endangering others; (3) the United States has extended its authority and responsibility to conserve and protect all marine mammals, including whales, out to a two hundred nautical mile limit by enactment of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act [16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.]; (4) the conservation and protection of certain species of whales, including the California gray, bowhead, sperm, and killer whale, are of particular interest to citizens of the United States; (5) increased ocean activity of all types may threaten the whale stocks found within the two hundred-mile jurisdiction of the United States and added protection of such stocks may be necessary; (6) there is inadequate knowledge of the ecology, habitat, requirements, and population levels and dynamics of all whales found in waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States; and (7) further study of such matters is required in order for the United States to carry out its responsibilities for the conservation and protection of marine mammals.","path":["Title 16—CONSERVATION","CHAPTER 14A—WHALE CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION"],"source_url":"https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/103/xml_usc16@119-103.zip","current_through":"Public Law 119-103 (09/02/2026)","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-10T05:56:44Z","sha256":"4bf338f066b799683e69288e2ec5c861dc91b9d5211140a41fe1fe7fdbddbff4","source_id":"us","stale":false,"prev":"us/16-u.s.c.-916l","next":"us/16-u.s.c.-917a"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}