5 October Commerce, commenting to the National Marine Fisheries Service on the proposal to 



list the North Pacific fur seal on Appendix II of the Convention on International 

 Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and recommending that it: 

 (a) withdraw the listing proposal; (b) require the National Marine Mammal 

 Laboratory to provide a detailed description and analysis of data on the status and 

 trends of the Pribilof Islands' fur seal population through at least 1988; and (c) 

 convene a workshop to review the status of populations and other assessments done 

 by the Laboratory. 



10 October Interior, commenting to the Fish and Wildlife Service on the need to support manatee 



research and management programs and recommending that the Service allocate at 

 least $245,000 of a special appropriation for work on recovery of manatees and 

 other endangered species, as follows: $150,000 for equipment and services to 

 radio-tag and track manatees; $15,000 to help develop a geographic information 

 system for manatees; and at least $80,000 to support additional staff members to 

 help implement the West Indian Manatee Recovery Plan, conduct section 7 

 consultations, review local manatee protection plans, and establish new boat speed 

 regulatory zones. 



12 October Commerce, commenting to the National Marine Fisheries Service on an amendment 



to the Reef Fish Fishery Management Plan; endorsing the Plan's proposal to ban the 

 use of entangling nets; and recommending that the Plan be revised to reflect 

 requirements set forth in the 1988 amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection 

 Act to report interactions between marine mammals and fishing operations. 



12 October Commerce, scientific research permit application, Joseph R. Mobley. 



13 October Commerce, modification of scientific research permit, Southwest Fisheries Center. 



13 October Commerce, scientific research permit application, Geochemical and Environmental 



Research Group. 



17 October Interior, commenting to the Minerals Management Service on the "Draft Supple- 



mental Environmental Impact Statement: 5- Year Outer Continental Shelf Oil and 

 Gas Leasing Program, Mid- 1987 to Mid- 1992"; and recommending that the 

 Statement be expanded to: (a) better reflect the uncertainty and range of possible 

 impacts on marine mammals; and (b) identify and describe steps to be taken to 

 verify predicted effects and to detect and mitigate possible unforeseen effects on 

 migratory marine mammals and other components of the ecosystem. 



24 October Interior, recommending to the Mineral Management Service that it consult with the 



Fish and Wildlife Service on use of a sea otter population model to identify research 

 needs in response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill. 



1 November State, commenting to the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and 

 Scientific Affairs on provisions of the Driftnet Impact Monitoring, Assessment, and 

 Control Act; noting that the Act requires negotiations with nations conducting high 

 seas driftnet activities in the North Pacific to ensure the acquisition of statistically 

 reliable data on the effects of the fisheries on U.S. marine resources; and 

 recommending that steps be taken immediately to describe the Japanese, Korean, 

 and Taiwanese programs that would be necessary to insure that data collected are 

 statistically reliable. 



1 November Commerce, commenting to the National Marine Fisheries Service on its proposed 

 observer program for foreign tuna fleets in 1990 and subsequent years, and 

 repeating points and recommendations contained in its 12 July 1989 letter on the 

 proposed alternative observer program for the 1989 season. 



1 November State of Florida, commenting to the Governor and Cabinet of Florida in support of 



recommendations set forth by the Florida Department of Natural Resources to 

 protect and conserve the West Indian manatee. 



2 November Transportation, commenting to the Coast Guard in support of proposed rules to 



implement Annex V regulations for the disposal of garbage from ships in the United 



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