- 25 - 



to grips with the issue promptly and that an international 

 meeting of scientific and technical experts seemed an 

 appropriate place to start. As described elsewhere in 

 this report, planning began in earnest in late 1983 for 

 such a workshop in the fall of 1984. 



One aspect of the overall problem has been and is that 

 existing data are inadequate to allow informed determinations 

 as to the steps which should be taken to stop and reverse 

 the ongoing population decline. Recognizing this, the 

 Service's National Marine Mammal Laboratory held a workshop, 

 in which Commission representatives participated, on 

 14-16 November to identify and describe priority research 

 needs. The workshop report was not available at the end 

 of 1983. 



Fur Seal Amendments of 1983 



The forebears of the current Pribilof residents were 

 brought to the islands by the Russians in the 18th century 

 to work in the fur trade, and the annual harvest of northern 

 fur seals on Pribilof rookeries continues to be a significant 

 revenue-producing activity on the islands. The annual seal 

 harvest, as well as other aspects of the life of the 

 Pribilof residents, has been managed by the Federal Govern- 

 ment for many years. In recent years, however, questions 

 have been raised about the long-term benefits of Federal 

 involvement in the Pribilofs which may have hindered the 

 Islands' residents from developing a self-sufficient economy. 



On 28 April 1983, following lengthy consideration of 

 the situation by representatives from the Islands, as well 

 as Federal and State of Alaska officials, legislation was 

 introduced in Congress to terminate Federal management of 

 the Pribilof Islands and to assist the residents through a 

 transition period to a self-sufficient economy. It was 

 recognized, however, that the Federal Government has a 

 continuing obligation under the Interim Convention on 

 Conservation of North Pacific Fur Seals to manage the fur 

 seal population and the harvest on the Pribilof rookeries. 

 The amendment, as approved by the House of Representatives 

 on 26 September and the Senate on 28 September, provides 

 for the continuation in full force and effect of all U.S. 

 responsibilities under the Interim Convention. 



Renegotiation of the Convention 



During 1984, the Interim Convention will come up for 

 reconsideration by the four signatory parties — Canada, 



