In the United States alone, more than 5,000 marine mammals are killed by commercial fisheries every year. Some species are killed in numbers that threaten their populations. And in the heavy competition for disappearing fish populations, marine animals lose out.
Marine mammals, particularly seals and sea lions, are often blamed for eating fish that humans target. But over 5,000 marine mammals die in entanglements annually in the United States. Worldwide, hundreds of thousands are killed each year.
The dangers posed by commercial fishing include entanglement in nets and lines and hooks, which can drown animals or injure them to a point where they starve or die from infection.
Speak out if you hear marine mammals blamed for eating fish. And if you eat lobster, consider buying those caught in Massachusetts, which has stricter requirements to protect whales.
News & Events
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November 30, 2011
The HSUS and Shark Free Marina Initiative Applaud the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee Decision to Protect Sharks
The Humane Society of the United States and the Shark Free Marina Initiative commend the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for their recent decision to increase protection for four imperiled shark species (tiger sharks, and great, scalloped and smooth hammerheads) in Florida waters beginning Jan. 1, 2012.
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August 17, 2011
"Minds in the Water"—a Surfer Fights for Fellow Ocean Creatures
Follow champion surfer Dave Rastovich's fight to protect whales, dolphins, and other marine life in the documentary, "Minds in the Water."
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May 20, 2011
The HSUS and Wild Fish Conservancy File Suit To Stop Sea Lion Killing At Bonneville Dam
The Humane Society of the United States, Wild Fish Conservancy, and two individual citizens filed suit today in federal court, seeking to stop the National Marine Fisheries Service from authorizing the killing of as many as 255 sea lions at Bonneville Dam over the next three years.
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February 3, 2011
Underwater Exposure: "The Cove" Director Louie Psihoyos Turns Lens on Dolphin Hunt
Award-winning filmmaker Louie Psihoyos Turns His Lens on Japanese Dolphin Hunt
Our Victories
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January 5, 2011
Shark Conservation Act Signed into Law to Curb Cruel Shark Finning
The HSUS, HSI and the Humane Society Legislative Fund applaud President Barack Obama for signing an important bipartisan bill that will increase protection for sharks from the cruel and wasteful practice of shark finning.
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December 21, 2010
Shark Conservation Act Wins Final Congressional Approval
The HSUS, Humane Society International and the Humane Society Legislative Fund commend the U.S. House for giving final congressional approval to legislation that will increase protection for sharks from the cruel and wasteful practice of shark finning.
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November 23, 2010
Federal Appeals Court Blocks Sea Lion Killing at Bonneville Dam
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco halted the National Marine Fisheries Service’s program to kill federally protected sea lions at the Bonneville Dam on the Washington and Oregon border.
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November 9, 2010
The HSUS and Washington Humane Society Praise DC Council for Passing Wildlife Protection Act
The HSUS and the Washington Humane Society praised the D.C. Council for passing legislation to regulate wildlife control operators in the District, ensuring consumer protection and humane treatment of wildlife.