Executive Summary 



This, the nineteenth Annual Report of the Marine Mammal Commission, describes 

 the activities of the Marine Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific 

 Advisors on Marine Mammals during calendar year 1991. The Commission was 

 established under Title II of the Marine Mammal Protection Act to provide guidance on 

 Federal activities and policies, be they domestic or international, that bear on the 

 protection and conservation of marine mammals. The Report is an in-depth summary of 

 Commission activities in this regard. Its purpose is to provide timely information to 

 Congress, government agencies, public interest groups, the academic community, private 

 citizens, and the international community on important issues and events concerning 

 marine mammal protection and conservation. To ensure factual accuracy, the Report was 

 provided in draft form to concerned Federal and State agencies and other involved parties 

 for review and comment prior to publication. 



As described in Chapter n, the Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors 

 pay special attention to certain marine mammal species and populations each year. 

 Among the species and populations facing the most urgent conservation problems in 1991 

 were West Indian manatees, Hawaiian monk seals, Steller sea lions, the California 

 population of sea otters, and northern right whales. 



The West Indian manatee is one of the most endangered marine mammals in the 

 United States. It occurs in coastal waters and rivers of Florida and Georgia and is the 

 largest known group in the species' North, Central, and South American range. 

 Numbering something more than 1,800 animals, its long-term survival is in doubt. 

 Known deaths in the past three years have exceeded 550, more than 150 of which were 

 caused by water craft. In 1991, for the sixth time in eight years, vessel-related deaths 

 reached a new record high. However, habitat degradation from development may pose 

 an even more serious long-term threat than boats. As noted in Chapter H, the 

 Commission continued to work closely with the Fish and Wildlife Service, the State of 

 Florida, and other groups in 1991 to strengthen manatee recovery efforts. Encouraging 

 progress was made. Boat speed regulatory systems were expanded, additional manatee 

 habitat was added to Federal and State protected area systems, and shoreline development 

 plans received greater scrutiny. Efforts now appear sufficiently comprehensive to have 

 a chance of succeeding if vigorously sustained, but it will take several years before the 

 effectiveness of this expanded program can be judged. 



The most endangered seal in United States waters is the Hawaiian monk seal. This 

 species, which may number fewer than 1,500 animals, inhabits the remote, largely 

 uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Over the past two years, significant declines 

 in births and beach counts have been recorded. Over the same period, there has been 

 an increase in reports of seal injuries and deaths due to interactions with the Hawaiian 



