112 STAT. 2681-119 PUBLIC LAW 105-277—OCT. 21, 1998 77 of title 28 of the Code of Federal Regulations and also includes any independent counsel, or employee of such a counsel, appointed under chapter 40.". (b) Ci.KRiCAL AMENDMENT.— The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 31 of title 28, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new item: "530B. Ethical standards for attorneys for the Government.". 28 USC 5;}0B (c) EFFECTIVE DATE. —The amendments made by this section "otfishall take effect 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply during that portion of fiscal year 1999 that follows that taking effect, and in each succeeding fiscal year. National Whale TITLE IX NATIONAL WHALE CONSERVATION FUND ACT Conservation Fund Act of 1998. SEC. 901. SHORT TITLE. This title may be cited as the "National le^USC 3701 ^j^aig Conservation Fund Act of 1998". 16 lisc 3703 SEC. 902. FINDINGS. Congress finds that— note. (1) the populations of whales that occur in waters of the United States are resources of substantial ecological, scientific, socioeconomic, and esthetic value; (2) whale populations— (A) form a significant component of marine ecosystems; (B) are the subject of intense research; (C) provide for a multimillion dollar whale watching tourist industry that provides the public an opportunity to enjoy and learn about great whales and the ecosystems of which the whales are a part; and (D) are of importance to Native Americans for cultural and subsistence purposes; (3) whale populations are in various stages of recovery, and some whale populations, such as the northern right whale (Eubaleana glacialis) remain perilously close to extinction; (4) the interactions that occur between ship traffic, commercial fishing, whale watching vessels, and other recreational vessels and whale populations may affect whale populations adversely; (5) the exploration and development of oil, gas, and hard mineral resources, marine debris, chemical pollutants, noise, and other anthropogenic sources of change in the habitat of whales may affect whale populations adversely; (6) the conservation of whale populations is subject to dif- ficult challenges related to— (A) the migration of whale populations across international boundaries; (B) the size of individual whales, as that size precludes certain conservation research procedures that may be used for other animal species, such as captive research and breeding; (C) the low reproductive rates of whales that require long-term conservation programs to ensure recovery of whale populations; and (D) the occurrence of whale populations in offshore waters where undertaking research, monitoring, and conservation measures is difficult and costly; (7)(A) the Secretary of Commerce, through the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
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