Chapter IV — International 



activities of three groups: the Seal, Cetacean, and 

 Sirenia Specialist Groups. 



Seal Specialist Group 



On 9-10 June 1991, a Commission representative 

 participated in a meeting of the Seal Specialist Group 

 in Texel, The Netherlands. The Seal Specialist 

 Group, composed of about 20 researchers with 

 experience in pinniped conservation and management, 

 met to work on a conservation action plan for pinni- 

 peds. The plan will include a review of the status of 

 pinniped species worldwide and will propose needed 

 actions for the conservation of many species. 



The World Conservation Union maintains a series 

 of Red Data Books listing species of wildlife that are, 

 may be, or have been in some need of conservation or 

 protection. Listed wildlife are assigned to one of 

 several categories: extinct (no confirmed sightings in 

 the wild for at least 50 years), endangered (in danger 

 of extinction), vulnerable (likely to become endan- 

 gered in the near future), rare (small populations that 

 may be at risk), indeterminate (known to be endan- 

 gered, vulnerable, or rare, but lacking enough infor- 

 mation to determine which of the three categories is 

 most appropriate), insufficiently known, and out of 

 danger (formerly listed but now considered secure). 



The participants in the June 1991 meeting reviewed 

 the status of all pinniped species and made the follow- 

 ing preliminary recommendations on Red Data Book 

 classifications: adding presently unlisted Steller sea 

 lions {Ewnetopias jubatus) as vulnerable; maintaining 

 Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi) and 

 Mediterranean monk seals (Monachus monachus) as 

 endangered; and reclassifying Caribbean monk seals 

 (Monachus tropicalis) from extinct to endangered. 

 Final recommendations will be made in the action 

 plan after additional review of the data and consulta- 

 tions with species experts. 



Other species considered at the meeting included 

 Japanese sea lions (Zalophus califomianus japonica), 

 Australian sea lions (Neophoca cinerea). Hooker's sea 

 lions (Phocarctos hooked), Laptev walruses (Odo- 

 benus rosmarus laptevi), Guadalupe ftir seals (Arao- 

 cephalus townsendi), Juan Fernandez fur seals (Arcto- 



cephalus philippii), Saimaa seals (Phoca hispida 

 saimensis), Baltic ringed seals (Phoca hispida bot- 

 nica), Lagoda seals (Phoca hispida lagodensis), 

 Caspian seals (Phoca caspica), and Ungava seals 

 (Phoca vindina mellonae). After completing die 

 preliminary status reviews, the group agreed to 

 circulate drafts to selected experts to be reviewed and 

 updated. In its preliminary review of pinniped 

 conservation needs, the group also agreed that issues 

 concerning the survival of the Mediterranean monk 

 seal were the most pressing facing any pinniped 

 species. 



Several general categories of threats to pinnipeds 

 were identified and discussed, including incidental 

 catch in fishing gear, direct harvests, pollution and 

 contaminants, and the effects of commercial harvests 

 of pinniped prey species on pinniped populations. 

 Descriptions of needed conservation actions were 

 drafted to respond to species-specific and general 

 threats, and these will be developed more fully for 

 inclusion in a draft conservation action plan. 



On 8 December 1991, members of the Seal Spe- 

 cialist Group met again in Chicago, Illinois, to review 

 progress on developing the draft plan. A final draft 

 of the plan is expected in July 1992. 



Cetacean Specialist Group 



In 1988, the Cetacean Specialist Group published 

 a cetacean conservation action plan. The plan recom- 

 mended over 50 projects and actions for the conser- 

 vation of whales, dolphins, and porpoises to be 

 implemented worldwide between 1988-1992. 



In 1990, the Marine Mammal Commission provid- 

 ed support to the Center for Marine Conservation in 

 its efforts to help implement the plan. This funding 

 supported the hiring of a staff member to work 

 directly with the Specialist Group's Chairman. 



The cetacean action plan is expected to be revised 

 and expanded in 1992 to reflect cetacean research and 

 conservation needs through 1997. Publication of the 

 revised plan is expected in November 1992. 



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