The commons revisited: Thoughts on marine mammal management

Abstract

Abstract This article explores the United States approach to marine mammal management. Questions are raised about the implications of current actions which are primarily protective. Impacts of such protection, both in terms of ecosystem considerations and the resulting social, economic, and international political consequences are examined. The key issue raised by the paper is whether mammals are managed to achieve a goal built around nonconsumptive values which may be primarily moral or ethical, or if they are managed for purposes of extractive conservation.