A group of senators and house representatives are calling on the USDA to immediately seek steps to improve the standards of care for marine mammals. While not necessarily a bad premise, it is frustrating the background of the proposal references Blackfish positively and mentions the death of Dawn Brancheau. The wording in this chunk also is a bit frustrating as most of the captive marine mammals are held by AZA facilities, which hold the standards high. “Urgent action is needed to ensure the approximately 1,400 captive marine mammals are adequately protected. We urge you to prioritize the development of a humane and science-based rule to modernize the outdated marine mammal regulations for these highly intelligent and social animals,” I'm also curious to whether "marine mammals" is targeted only at cetaceans, or includes any species protected by the MMPA. U.S. House, Senate join in effort to demand better care for captive marine mammals
