The Evolution of the World: Industrial-Based, Less Natural, Societies

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The evolution of the world toward a more industrial-based society has threatened fisheries, reefs, and maritime systems around the world. To combat the problems, various measures of legislation and government intervention have been implemented to protect living and nonliving marine entities and ensure that resources aren’t fully depleted.
This paper will look at a number of ‘solutions’ to the problems that industrial-based, less natural, societies have created for marine life. These ‘solutions’ have come in a number of forms, from varying levels of government and agencies. The crees of protections have included legislation. We will look at formalized legislation from the state level, national level, and supranational level (European Union). Additionaly, ‘solutions’ have included court orders; of note in this essay: the one blocking transit of the Hawaii superferry. And lastly, ‘solutions’ have been created by non-governmental organizations, like interest groups just representing the best interests of natural marine life in a world dominated by big business.
Of all the works of legislation, the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 serves as the largest, overarching protector of marine life. The legislation was first-of-it’s kind for the United States congress, as it broke aquatic life down into various ecosystems and applied natural resource management and conservation within each one. The MMPA was passed because of findings and policies that showed mammals and fish stocks may be close to extinction as a result of human activities, the knowledge of ecology and population dynamics of our oceans is extremely limited, and marine mammals are important for national and international significance. With a dramatically different, more gl...

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...cientific studies, public hearings and the possibility of legal challenges” (New York Times). The islands are a major “calving ground” for whales, who have deep protections under the Endangered Species Act. In the past they have tended to be killed by fast ferries more than by slower ships. Environmentalists are also concerned that the many vehicles the boat can carry will allow mongooses, which have severely depleted Oahu’s bird population, to stow away and be carried to Kauai, which has none. These concerns were raised in a court filing by the Sierra Club and two local groups filed in State District Court on Maui, where they demanded that an environmental assessment be done. But the state and Hawaii Superferry argued successfully that no such assessment was required. When turning to a federal court, they also turned down a separate lawsuit by the same plaintiffs.

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