dology being used to estimate porpoise mortality tended to 

 overestimate the true level of kill and that the 1986 season 

 was closed prematurely, the Service initiated a study of the 

 issue and set a target of 100 percent observer coverage through- 

 out the 1987 season. Preliminary assessments by the Service 

 indicate that approximately 95 percent of all U.S. sets in 

 1987 were observed. The Service, in cooperation with the 

 Commission, is reviewing the data from the 1987 season to 

 better determine the optimal level of observer coverage and will 

 prepare a report of its findings in 1988. The Service has 

 set a target of 50 percent observer coverage for 1988. 



As noted previously, the Service published emergency 

 interim regulations in 1986 that imposed a ban on catching, 

 possessing, or landing yellowfin or bigeye tuna from the eastern 

 tropical Pacific Ocean once the porpoise quota had been reached. 

 An exception to the ban was established for vessels that 

 voluntarily carried a National Marine Fisheries Service observer 

 to verify compliance with the prohibition on fishing on por- 

 poise. By letter of 3 October 1986, the Commission supported 

 the adoption of the regulations and recommended that permanent 

 regulations including similar requirements be established for 

 future fishing seasons. The emergency regulations went into 

 effect on 21 October 1986, and no additional takes of porpoise 

 were reported for that year. On 23 December 1986, the Com- 

 mission again recommended that the Service adopt permanent 

 regulations to enforce the quota. At the close of 1987, no 

 such regulations had been proposed by the Service. 



At the end of 1986, the Service took the first step 

 toward establishing regulations that would govern the perfor- 

 mance of individual vessels and/or captains in the U.S. tuna 

 fleet by issuing a discussion paper on alternative approaches. 

 These performance standards, which would have been set forth 

 as regulations, were intended to address the problem that 

 arose in 1986 when certain vessels and/or captains experienced 

 exceptionally high kill rates. The standards would have been 

 implemented along with increased observer coverage to provide 

 a more effective method for monitoring the operations of the 

 U.S. fleet, reducing kill rates, and imposing appropriate 

 sanctions, such as the revocation of certificates of inclusion, 

 on captains and/or vessels with poor performance records. 



Early in 1987, the Service circulated a draft proposed rule 

 that would have established performance standards for operators 

 of U.S. tuna vessels. A report prepared for the Service by 

 Living Marine Resources, Inc., summarizing the U.S. tuna 

 fleet's performance for 1981-1986 and used in preparing the 

 draft proposed rule, was also circulated. The American Tunaboat 

 Association, on 6 February 1987, voiced strong opposition to 

 implementation of the regulations, stating that "there is no 

 significant, widespread skipper performance problem in the 



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