tions. Although this condition does not ensure that all 

 conflicts between research and collection activities will be 

 resolved, it does provide a possible mechanism for avoiding 

 potential conflicts. 



Issues Concerning Lethal Take for Public Display 



During 1987, the Fish and Wildlife Service requested 

 Commission comments on a permit application seeking authority 

 to kill a walrus for purposes of museum display. By letter of 

 28 October 1987, the Commission advised the Service that, in 

 its view, lethal taking of marine mammals from the wild for 

 this use is not warranted if satisfactory specimens can be 

 obtained from alternative sources, such as an animal that dies 

 in captivity, is killed intentionally or unintentionally during 

 scientific research, or is taken incidental to commercial 

 fishing. In this regard, the Commission noted that, if a 

 specimen is not immediately available, one is likely to become 

 available within a reasonable time and it therefore recommended 

 that the applicant be required to explore alternative sources 

 of animals. 



To address similar requests that might arise in the future, 

 the Commission wrote a second letter to the Fish and Wildlife 

 Service on 28 October. In this letter, the Commission recom- 

 mended that the Service prepare and provide to the Commission 

 and the National Marine Fisheries Service a draft of a general 

 policy statement requiring that, for purposes of displaying 

 stuffed animals, specimens be obtained from sources that do 

 not require a directed lethal take of animals from the wild. 

 On 24 November 1987, the Service replied to the Commission's 

 letter, noting that it agreed that lethal take for public 

 display is inappropriate if specimens are available from other 

 sources and that it intended to adopt a formal policy on the 

 matter. For this purpose, the Service enclosed a draft policy 

 statement with its letter and requested Commission comments. 

 At the end of 1987, the Commission was preparing its response 

 to the Service and it looked forward to working with both 

 Services on the matter during 1988. 



Permit-Related Litigation 



On 21 October 1986, Greenpeace filed a lawsuit challenging 

 Permit No. 563 issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service 

 authorizing the take, by harassment, of up to 86 killer whales 

 (Orcinus orca) in Puget Sound, Washington, for purposes of 

 scientific research. The research called for obtaining skin 

 biopsies from up to 45 killer whales. The permit was issued 

 on 22 August 1986 and had been approved, subject to recommended 

 conditions, by the Commission. 



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