1999 

 OUR LIVING OCEANS 



Table 10 



Status and trends of marine 

 mammals and sea turtles, 

 1995-97, 



Unit number, area, and species 



Number 

 of stocks Strategic Endangered Threatened Depleted 



22 Alaska marine mammals 



23 Pacific Coast and Hawaii marine mammals 



24- Atlantic Coast and Gulf of Mexico marine mammals 



Total 



145 



47 



23 



25 Atlantic and Pacific sea turtles 



13 



Bearded seal, Alaska. 



The 1994 Amendments require NMFS to include, among other things, information 

 on how a stock is defined, a mininumi abundance estimate, the stock's current and maxi- 

 mum net productivity rate, current population trend, a calculation of potential biological 

 removal (PBR), assessment of whether incidental fishery takes arc "insignificant and ap- 

 proachinij, zero mortality and serious injury rate," and an assessment oi whether the level ol 

 human-caused mortality and serious injury is likely to reduce the stock to below optimum 

 sustainable population (OSP) or whether the stock sht)uld be classified as a strategic stock. 

 Strategic stocks are those that are listed as endangered or threatened under the HSA or 

 declining and likely to be listed in the foreseeable future, those designated as depleted 

 under the MMPA (i.e. below OSP), and those for which human-caused mortality exceeds 

 the PBR. SAR's are to be reviewed annually for strategic stocks and for stocks for which 

 new information is available, and at least once every 3 years for all other stocks. The 1994 

 Amendments also require that take reduction teams involving user groups and environ- 

 mental groups be formed for e.ich strategic stock and charges them with developing plans 

 to reduce takes to below the PBR's. 



NMFS SAR's are produced for three regions and more than 145 stocks — Alaska {^^)■, 

 the Pacific Ocean, including Hawaii (SS); and the Atlantic Ocean, including the Ciiilf of 

 Mexico (S7). Currently, 47 marine mammal stocks are classified as strategic ( Fable 10). 

 These include stocks that are considered depleted (2) under the MMPA, listed as threat- 

 ened (2) and endangered (2^) under the ESA, 1 5 stocks for which the total annual mortal- 

 ity equals or exceeds PBR, and 46 stocks for which population status or fisheries related 

 mortality is uncertain. Although explicitly excluded from I'.S. ni.magement under the 

 PBR .section of the MMPA, 2 of 10 stocks of eastern tropieal Pacific dolphins are listed as 

 depleted. 



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