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mitigation plan. The Service noted, however, that it believed 

 that authority and responsibility for implementing mitigation 

 actions rested with the California Department of Fish and 

 Game. 



On 10 November 1983, the Commission wrote to the 

 National Marine Fisheries Service, calling attention to the 

 possible impact of gill and trammel net fisheries on the 

 harbor porpoise population off central and northern California. 

 The Commission summarized available information and noted 

 that gill netting had probably already had a significant 

 adverse effect on the harbor porpoise population in the area 

 and that it appeared highly unlikely that the population 

 could continue to sustain the present level of fishery- 

 induced mortality. As discussed in Chapter VI of this 

 Report, the Commission recommended that the Service, among 

 other things, immediately consult with the California Department 

 of Fish and Game to cooperatively assist in the development 

 and implementation of a strategy for remedying this serious 

 situation. 



The 1982 review of the Southwest Fisheries Center's 

 marine mammal research program also indicated uncertainties 

 concerning the possible effects of the squid fishery off Santa 

 Catalina Island on pilot whale populations. The National 

 Marine Fisheries Service subsequently provided funding to 

 initiate a three-year study of the interactions between the 

 squid fishery and pilot whales in the area. In 1983, the 

 Commission and the Service jointly supported the project, 

 which is discussed in Chapter II of this Report. 



Interactions in the Southeastern Bering Sea 



The Bering Sea is one of the world's richest fishing 

 grounds and supports a diverse assemblage of marine mammals. 

 The continued expansion of both domestic and foreign fisheries 

 in the area since the mid-1960s has focused attention on 

 interactions, particularly competition between fishermen and 

 marine mammals for the same fish and shellfish resources. 

 Thus, in 1980, the Commission initiated a cooperative effort 

 with the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to develop 

 an ecosystem approach to the management of marine mammals 

 and fishery resources of the area. This cooperation included 

 joint support of a review conducted by the Alaska Department 

 of Fish and Game of available information on the distribution, 

 movements, abundance, and food habits of marine mammals in 

 the Bering Sea. Authors of the review recommended, among 

 other things, that a workshop be convened to consider issues 

 bearing on interactions among marine mammals and fisheries 



