Marine Mammal Euthanasia Best Practices

Throughout the marine mammal stranding and response process, it is inevitable to have situations where euthanasia of a marine mammal is the most humane response. The best euthanasia outcomes occur when response personnel are trained and prepared for this challenging decision. This document brings together the best practices and standardized protocols that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) recommends to make the most appropriate decision and determine a course of action for euthanasia, given a particular stranding scenario. The euthanasia information is a living document that will be updated periodically as more data and observations become available.