Exploitation and Conservation

The overexploitation of whales, seals, sea cows, and sea otters has resulted in seriously reduced population sizes, the extinction of several species, and the endangered status of several others. The recognition of marine mammals as crucial natural resources and valued ecosystem components that require protection has resulted in the establishment of several international legal frameworks for their conservation. Overexploitation has resulted in the extinction of three marine mammal species: Steller's sea cow, the Atlantic gray whale, and the Caribbean monk seal. Despite the establishment of legal frameworks to address exploitation, many other species have been and continue to be affected by human activities, such as bycatch in commercial fisheries, net entanglements, and environmental contaminants. Information about mortality patterns, disease, and levels of environmental contaminants has been obtained from beached and stranded marine mammals, from studies designed to address these issues in wild populations, or from laboratory tissue studies. The future of marine mammal conservation requires better information on the population status and the relationships of marine mammals with their ecosystems, as well as greater understanding of the effects of human-induced activities.