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The 1983 Fishing Season 



The National Marine Fisheries Service issued final 

 regulations on 31 October 1980 establishing an annual 

 quota of 20,500 animals for each of the years 1981 through 

 1985, and a general permit to take porpoise incidentally 

 in compliance with the final regulations and quotas was 

 issued to the American Tunaboat Association on 1 December 

 1980. Although analyses have not yet been completed and 

 a final figure is not yet available, the data available at 

 the end of 1983 indicate that the total estimated porpoise 

 mortality and serious injury for the year was 8,258. Of 

 these, 7,44 were taken from species or stocks for which 

 quotas were specifically allocated, 20 were from other 

 species or stocks for which individual quotas had not been 

 set, 103 were unidentified animals which have yet to be 

 assigned to species or stock categories, and 695 were 

 eastern spinners which have been determined to be depleted 

 and of which only limited accidental taking is permitted. 

 For reference, figures for the estimated porpoise 

 mortality and serious injury associated with U.S. commercial 

 yellowfin tuna fishing vessels since passage of the Act are 

 set forth below. 



Estimated Kill and 

 Year Serious Injury 



1972 368,600 



1973 206,697 



1974 147,437 



1975 166,645 



1976 108,740 



1977 25,452 



1978 19,366 



1979 17,938 



1980 15,305 



1981 18,780 



1982 22,736 



1983 8,258 



The level of mortality and serious injury during 1983 

 was well below the aggregate quota, and the rate of 

 mortality and serious injury was also reduced (3.02 animals 

 per porpoise set and 0.31 per ton of yellowfin tuna caught 

 on porpoise in 1983 compared to 4.83 animals per set and 

 0.40 per ton in 1982 and 3.28 and 0.34, respectively, in 

 1981) . 



