proposed regulations. In its letter, the Commission pointed 

 out, among other things, that the proposed regulations would 

 eliminate the special protection that had been afforded cow/calf 

 pairs in the 1979 Notice of Interpretation. The Commission 

 recommended that traditional calving/breeding areas be iden- 

 tified and designated as areas where vessel approaches closer 

 than 300 yards are prohibited. 



On 23 November 1987, the National Marine Fisheries Service 

 issued an interim rule aimed at reducing disturbance of humpback 

 whales by vessel and aircraft operations. The interim rule 

 took effect on 23 December 1987. It prohibits aircraft from 

 approaching closer than 1,000 feet and vessels or swimmers from 

 approaching closer than 100 yards of humpback whales. As 

 recommended by the Marine Mammal Commission, additional protec- 

 tion is provided in certain cow/calf areas by prohibiting 

 vessels and swimmers from approaching closer than 3 00 yards. 

 Because the latter restriction was not included in the regu- 

 lations as proposed in November 1986, the Service provided an 

 additional 60-day comment period on this provision of the 

 interim regulations. The comment period is scheduled to 

 expire on 22 January 1988. At that time, it is expected that 

 the Service will incorporate the provision providing additional 

 protection in cow/calf areas into the interim regulations and 

 adopt them as final regulations. 



Humpback Whales in Alaska 



Glacier Bay and surrounding waters in southeast Alaska 

 provide summer habitat for a portion of the North Pacific 

 population of humpback whales. In the late 1970s, it became 

 apparent that fewer whales were using the Bay than had done 

 so previously, and it was believed that increased vessel traffic 

 in the area could have been a contributing cause. In response, 

 in 1979, the National Park Service initiated steps to restrict 

 vessel traffic in the Bay during the period when whales are 

 present. 



As discussed in previous Annual Reports, the Commission 

 assisted in efforts to assess the situation and identify 

 appropriate research and management actions by, among other 

 things, convening research reviews and planning meetings in 

 October 1979 and December 1981. Both meetings were organized 

 and held in consultation with the National Park Service and 

 the National Marine Fisheries Service. In addition, the 

 National Park Service initiated consultations with the National 

 Marine Fisheries Service pursuant to section 7 of the Endangered 

 Species Act to ensure that permitted vessel access into the 

 Bay would not adversely jeopardize the humpback whale or its 

 critical habitat. 



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