"Unless NOAA takes immediate action, these dolphins, who may be more intelligent than human beings and certainly are every bit as emotional and family-oriented as we are, will slowly die as winter progresses," said Daphna Nachminovitch, vice president of People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals, in a statement released before the meeting. "Taxpayers expect federal agencies like NOAA not to stand by while these vulnerable dolphins suffer agonizing deaths."