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effects and improving management of the fisheries. Because 

 of State-imposed hiring restrictions, the Department was not 

 able to use the Commission's funding until the second half 

 of 1983 and thus work will be continued into 1984. 



During 1983, the Commission continued to review and 

 analyze available information on the extent and possible 

 impact of the incidental take and participated in discussions 

 with the California Department of Fish and Game, among 

 others, on the progress being made. In addition, as is 

 discussed in detail in Chapter II of this Report, the Commission 

 funded several research projects related to the incidental 

 take of marine mammals in the California gill and trammel 

 net fisheries. These studies involved observations of gill 

 and trammel net fisheries in and near Monterey Bay and 

 Morro Bay as well as acoustic tagging and tracking of sea 

 otters killed in the fisheries. 



The Commission, in consultation with its Committee of 

 Scientific Advisors, reviewed the existing information and, 

 on 14 September 1983, wrote to the Fish and Wildlife Service 

 commenting on efforts to protect the southern sea otter 

 population and recommending, among other things, that steps 

 be taken promptly to expedite assessment of sea otter mortality 

 in gill and trammel nets and to identify action necessary 

 to eliminate or significantly reduce such incidental taking. 

 The Commission specifically recommended that the Service: 

 undertake an in-depth review of the assessment/mitigation 

 programs being conducted and planned by both the Service and 

 the California Department of Fish and Game; consult with 

 California Department of Fish and Game representatives and 

 other knowledgeable persons to determine how ongoing and 

 planned programs should be improved to better define the 

 problem, develop possible mitigation measures, and evaluate 

 these measures; explore, in cooperation with the Department, 

 the potential effectiveness of prohibiting gill and trammel 

 net fishing within the 20-fathom isobath; and provide such 

 funding or other assistance as may be necessary to describe, 

 design, and implement the required assessment/mitigation 

 program. 



On 19 December 198 3, the Service responded to the 

 Commission's letter, agreeing, among other things, that the 

 need to expedite assessment of sea otter mortality is 

 critical. The Service noted that it would be meeting with 

 the California Department of Fish and Game to develop more 

 comprehensive methods for assessing the problem and subsequently 

 would cooperate with the Department on development of a 



