through oil-effects on ringed seals and other components of 

 the Arctic food web of which they are a part. 



The Minerals Management Service, as noted in Chapter X 

 of this Report, is responsible for assessing and avoiding or 

 mitigating possible adverse impacts of offshore oil and gas 

 development on polar bears and their habitat. To date, the 

 Service has relied primarily on the Fish and Wildlife Service 

 to obtain the population and other information necessary to 

 assess and determine how to avoid or mitigate the possible 

 direct and indirect effects of offshore oil and gas exploration 

 and development on polar bears. The available information 

 and ongoing Fish and Wildlife Service research programs may 

 be insufficient for these purposes and, by letter of 29 

 September 1988, the Commission advised the Minerals Management 

 Service that additional studies are needed to determine what 

 proportion of the Alaska polar bear populations could be 

 affected by offshore oil and gas exploration and development, 

 and to identify and evaluate the likely effectiveness of ways 

 whereby interactions between oil field workers and polar 

 bears might be avoided or minimized. In addition, early in 

 1989 the Commission will sponsor a workshop in cooperation 

 with the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Alaska Department 

 of Fish and Game to determine what, if any, additional measures 

 may be necessary to better assess and to avoid or mitigate 

 the possible effects of oil and gas exploration and development 

 on polar bears. 



The report of the workshop, to be held in Anchorage, 

 Alaska, 24-25 January 1989, will be used by the Commission, 

 in consultation with its Committee of Scientific Advisors, to 

 identify and recommend actions that should be taken by the 

 Minerals Management Service or other agencies to adeguately 

 protect polar bears and their habitat in Alaska and adjacent 

 areas. 



In 1989, the Marine Mammal Commission will undertake a 

 full review of polar bear activities to determine, among 

 other things, U.S. compliance with the international polar 

 bear agreement. 



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