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Scientific Advisors in Honolulu provided an opportunity for 

 a detailed review of all aspects of the Service's monk seal 

 program. 



Following the review, the Commission prepared project 

 descriptions and, on 13 April, transferred $150,000 to the 

 Service to help support the agreed-upon research and management 

 tasks. These included: 1) completion of data analyses and 

 reports from 1982 studies; 2) reassessment of available 

 population data; 3) continuation of the pup rearing program 

 and related studies at Kure Atoll; 4) assessment and mitigation 

 of possible mortality due to entanglement in lost or discarded 

 fishing gear; 5) completion of initial depth-of-dive and 

 activity pattern studies at Lisianski Island; 6) population 

 assessment and weaned pup tagging at Pearl and Hermes Reef, 

 Lisianski Island, and Laysan Island; 7) continuation of 

 surveys, behavioral observations, and beach counts of monk 

 seals at French Frigate Shoals; 8) review and expansion of 

 existing information, education, and enforcement programs; 

 and 9) the convening of a meeting of the Hawaiian Monk Seal 

 Recovery Team. 



In a 15 June 1983 letter to the Service, the Commission 

 noted that it was encouraged by the progress that had been 

 made, stressed the importance of vigorous and continued 

 support of a meaningful program to protect and encourage the 

 recovery of the Hawaiian monk seal, and concluded that this 

 would require a minimum annual base funding of $300,000 per 

 year for Fiscal Years 1984, 1985, and 1986. The Commission 

 recommended that the National Marine Fisheries Service take 

 the necessary steps to provide for such base funding for at 

 least the next three years. 



The Service responded to the Commission's recommendation 

 by letter of 8 July. It noted that its research budget was 

 subject to intense demands and pressures but assured the 

 Commission that the monk seal program would get fair consideration, 

 The Senate and House of Representatives, continuing their 

 strong support of monk seal research and management efforts, 

 increased the Service's Fiscal Year 1984 appropriation for 

 monk seal work to $300,000. The Commission will consult 

 with the Service during 1984 on the most appropriate and 

 effective use of these funds. 



The importance of a recovery plan for the Hawaiian monk 

 seal has been well recognized, and the Commission has worked 

 closely with the Service on this effort for several years. 

 In 1982, the Commission provided detailed comments on a 

 draft recovery plan and in December of that year, received 



