and 8 marine mammal stocks, respectively. Also in consultation with the Commission and 

 others, the National Marine Fisheries Service developed regulations in 1995 to classify fisheries 

 by incidental-take levels and took steps to develop take reduction plans in 1996 for certain 

 strategic marine mammal stocks most affected by fisheries. 



Exempted from the new incidental-take regime is the eastern tropical Pacific purse seine 

 fishery for yellowfin tuna. The incidental take of dolphins in this fishery, which was once as 

 high as 500,000 dolphins annually, has been reduced to less than 5,000. The fishery has been 

 and continues to be subject to separate provisions of the Act and to management under an 

 international program. In 1995 legislation was considered to amend the Act to place U.S. tuna 

 fishermen on an equal footing with foreign fishermen and to recognize the success of the 

 international program in reducing dolphin mortality. 



In certain areas, predation by seals and sea lions has affected recovery of depleted salmon 

 stocks or interfered with aquaculture operations. The 1994 amendments authorize the killing of 

 individual animals contributing to such problems when other possible solutions prove ineffective. 

 In 1995 actions were considered to protect an endangered steelhead trout run in Seattle, 

 Washington, from California sea lion predation. Steps also were taken to assess interactions 

 between harbor seals and aquaculture operations in the Gulf of Maine. 



International Aspects of Marine Mammal Protection 

 and Conservation (Chapter V) 



The Marine Mammal Protection Act directs the Commission to advise the Secretary of 

 State and other Federal officials on policies and international arrangements for the protection and 

 conservation of marine mammals. In response to this directive, the Commission in 1995 

 initiated efforts to update the compendium of marine-related treaties and international agreements 

 published in 1994; completed a series of workshops and studies to determine steps that can be 

 taken to improve conservation and management of wild living resources worldwide; provided 

 advice to the U.S. Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission on matters related 

 to implementation of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling; and worked 

 with the Department of State, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the 

 National Science Foundation, and other Federal agencies and non-governmental organizations 

 to further conservation of marine mammals and other components of the Antarctic marine 

 ecosystem. These and related activities are described in this chapter. 



Activities Related to Marine Mammals in the Arctic (Chapter VI) 



Many species of marine mammals can be affected by activities in the Arctic. This 

 chapter describes actions by the Commission and others in 1995 to implement the Arctic 

 Environmental Protection Strategy adopted by eight Arctic nations in 1991; develop cooperative 

 agreements to govern conservation of the polar bear and walrus populations shared by the United 

 States and the Russian Federation; implement the provisions of the 1994 Marine Mammal 

 Protection Act amendments authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to issue permits to import 



ix 



