CHAPTER V 



INCIDENTAL TAKE OF MARINE MAMMALS IN THE COURSE 

 OF COMMERCIAL FISHING OPERATIONS 



The Marine Mammal Protection Act directs the Secretaries 

 of Commerce and the Interior, in consultation with the 

 Commission, to develop regulations governing the incidental 

 taking of marine mammals by persons subject to the 

 jurisdiction of the United States and to develop effective 

 international arrangements, through the Secretary of State, 

 for the purpose of reducing the incidental taking of marine 

 mammals to insignificant levels approaching a zero mortality 

 and serious injury rate. 



Although the incidental taking of marine mammals occurs 

 in the course of several fisheries and involves several 

 different species of marine mammals, the "tuna-porpoise" 

 issue involving the incidental mortality and serious injury 

 of porpoises entrapped in the purse seine nets used by 

 commercial yellowfin tuna fishermen has, over the past years, 

 been the subject of the most intense concern, attention, and 

 controversy. Of more recent concern has been the incidental 

 taking of Dall's porpoise in the course of the Japanese 

 salmon gill net fishery in the North Pacific Ocean, a 

 portion of which occurs within the United States' 200-mile 

 Exclusive Economic Zone. The Commission's activities during 

 1983 relating to both of these issues are discussed below. 



The Tuna-Porpoise Issue 



A detailed discussion of the Commission's past activities 

 and a historical summary of the efforts to resolve the 

 problem are presented in the Commission's previous Annual 

 Reports. During 1983, the Commission continued to devote 

 attention to this issue and consulted with the National 

 Marine Fisheries Service and others in a continuing effort 

 to contribute to the resolution of the issue. 



