proper procedures must be followed. 



The large turnover in peurticipants necessitates frequent 

 review of the Network membership and LOAs are generally renewed 

 annually. The renewal process consists of a letter from the 

 Regional Office asking if there is a desire to renew, how many 

 strandings they were called for, and how many they responded to. 

 This information is reviewed and the renewal of the LOA is 

 decided. 



A number of questions arose during this disciission. At a 

 stranding can other people assist the LOA holder? The response 

 was that legally, if a person touches an emimal they need an LOA. 

 Obviously, LOAs cannot be issued for each person %rho helps in a 

 stranding; thus, appropriate subjective judgement must be used 

 for each situation. 



Section 109H (Appendix I) of the Marine Hanmal Protection 

 Act, about the taking of meurine mammals is importcmt to read and 

 understand. Section 112C (Appendix IZ) covers LOA holders and the 

 federal government. Section 109H, concerning stranded or dead 

 imimals, specifically states that federal, state and city 

 employees need not have an LOA. 



Jurisdiction 



Theoretically, the first LOA holder or city or state 

 official «rtio arrives at the stranding site has control; however, 

 the stranding is ultimately under Federal jurisdiction and the 

 NMFS may take control of the situation if necessary. He must 

 deal tactfully with network members at strandings, but we also 

 have a responsibility to ensure that the emimals receive humane 

 treatment, including eutheuiasia, if necesseury. We must employ 

 diplomacy emd coordinate with people on the scene. In the 

 Florida Keys, it may be necessary to have a 2-3 person management 

 team to make contacts; however, decision making must be 

 restricted to 1 or 2 persons. 



Responsibility for disposal of carcasses varies regionally. 

 For example, burial is not allowed in the Florida Keys. City 

 agencies usually take care of carcass disposal for public health 

 reasons «rtien a stranding occiirs near a municipality. A carcass 

 may sometimes be left to rot in a remote eurea. NMFS Area 

 Representatives should contact local authorities in advance and 

 find out about carcass disposal policies and facilities. 



NMFS Area Representatives should become acquainted with key 

 people in local and state agencies and coordinate these efforts. 

 It is the job of the Area Representatives to ecttablish local 

 contacts and work with them to facilitate retrieval of data and 

 specimens and assist with carcass disposal if necessary. Local 



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