basis from which groups of differing perspectives could con- 

 structively discuss Alaskan marine mammal issues, the Commission 

 organized and supported the preparation of species reports with 

 research and management recommendations for ten species. The 

 reports, the cooperative effort of many informed contributors 

 of widely varying interests, are discussed in Chapter IV, as 

 are a variety of other issues affecting the Native community, 

 government agencies, and marine mammals in Alaska. 



The Marine Mammal Protection Act mandates the Marine 

 Mammal Commission's substantive involvement in international 

 activities affecting marine mammals and their habitats. Most 

 species and populations with which the Commission is concerned 

 are wide-ranging and their conservation requires cooperative 

 international efforts. While some issues of international 

 concern are discussed in Chapter II, "Species of Special Con- 

 cern," those involving formal international agreements are 

 reviewed in Chapter V. 



One such issue is the Antarctic. Since its inception, the 

 Marine Mammal Commission has been deeply involved in issues 

 that could affect marine mammals in the Antarctic. It was 

 instrumental in developing U.S. positions during negotiations 

 of the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine 

 Living Resources and continues to play a significant role 

 with regard to the ongoing negotiation of a regime to govern 

 mineral activities in the Antarctic. These actions are dis- 

 cussed in Chapter V. 



Since the Marine Mammal Commission became operational in 

 1974, its representatives have participated in activities of 

 the International Whaling Commission and its Scientific Commit- 

 tee. As discussed in Chapter V, activities of particular 

 importance this past year were efforts to determine what should 

 be included in the comprehensive assessment of whale stocks to 

 be undertaken by 1990, and efforts by certain countries to 

 conduct whaling for scientific purposes in an apparent attempt 

 to circumvent the moratorium on commercial whaling which began 

 in 1986. Also discussed in Chapter V are activities related 

 to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species 

 of Wild Fauna and Flora and the Cartagena Convention. 



The Marine Mammal Commission called attention to entangle- 

 ment of marine mammals in marine debris and plastic pollution 

 as major environmental issues within the United States in the 

 early 1980s. As part of its effort, the Commission recommended 

 that an international workshop on the fate and impact of marine 

 debris be held and provided the seed money and terms of refer- 

 ence for that workshop. Since that workshop in 1984, the 

 Commission has continued to focus attention on this problem, 

 both domestically and internationally. This past year was 

 particularly important because of progress made by the National 



