The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) regulates warm-blooded animals used for research, public exhibition, transportation in commerce, or sold for the wholesale pet trade. Thus, all marine mammals used for public exhibition or research are regulated under the AWA. This includes cetaceans (i.e. whales, dolphins) and pinnipeds (i.e. seals, sea lions, walrus, sea otters, polar bears, manatees). Most marine mammals in captivity are in marine mammal parks or zoos. However, a few are also used in scientific research. Dolphins and whales in the wild are also regulated by the National Marine Fisheries Service. Sea otters, walrus, manatees and polar bears in the wild are regulated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The purpose of this resource is to provide additional information on marine mammals in captivity to assist facility personnel in providing proper care, husbandry and nutrition to them. |