tal kill quota of 20,500 porpoises. Thus, it became neces- 

 sary to direct even greater attention to the tuna-porpoise 

 issue. 



The 1986 Fishing Season 



The National Marine Fisheries Service issued final regu- 

 lations on 31 October 1980 establishing an annual allowable 

 take (quota) of 20,500 animals for each of the five years, 

 1981-1985. On 7 December 1980, a general permit to take 

 porpoise in compliance with the final regulations and the 

 quota was issued to the American Tunaboat Association. By 

 means of the 1984 amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection 

 Act, Congress extended the annual quota, as well as the 

 regulations and the general permit. 



Estimates of the annual incidental take of porpoise by 

 the U.S. tuna purse seine fleet since passage of the Marine 

 Mammal Protection Act are listed below. 



Estimated Kill 

 Year and Serious Injury 



1972 368,600 



1973 206,697 



1974 147,437 



1975 166,645 



1976 108,740 



1977 25,452 



1978 19,366 



1979 17,938 



1980 15,305 



1981 18,780 



1982 22,736 



1983 9,589 



1984 17,732 



1985 19,205 



1986 (preliminary estimate) 20,692 



In 1986, the U.S. tuna fleet reached the allowable take 

 level of 2 0,500 and was required to cease setting for tuna on 

 schools of porpoise. There are several possible reasons why 

 the quota was reached. One is that the tuna fleet experi- 

 enced an increased number of problem sets which resulted in 

 abnormally high levels of take. Perhaps more important, tuna 

 fishermen made more sets on porpoise schools during 1986 than 

 in 1985. This was because tuna found with porpoise tend to 

 be large and large tuna brought a better price than smaller 

 ones during the generally depressed 1986 tuna market. 



The likelihood that the quota would be reached became 

 apparent during the spring when porpoise mortality reports 

 issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service indicated 



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