merits and related quota recommendations generally appeared to be 

 well founded but that there were a number of issues that required 

 further consideration before a decision was made to adopt the 

 revised quotas as recommended. In particular, the Commission 

 indicated that it would be desirable to: (1) arrange for an 

 independent review of the available survey data and the analyses 

 done to date to insure that uncertainties concerning the data and 

 analyses have been clearly identified and considered appro- 

 priately in developing the recommended quotas; (2) review 

 available incidental take data and generate a first-order 

 approximation of the numbers of bottlenose dolphins being caught 

 and killed or injured incidental to commercial fisheries in each 

 of the areas for which live-capture quotas have been established; 

 (3) review available chase and capture data to determine if 

 particular age/sex classes of dolphins, or dolphins in general, 

 are becoming more difficult to find or capture in areas from 

 which dolphins have been or are being taken for public display 

 and scientific research; and (4) identify the research and 

 monitoring programs required to: (a) better determine the 

 relative discreteness and ranges of inshore/offshore and local 

 stocks of bottlenose dolphins along both the Atlantic and Gulf 

 coasts of the United States; (b) obtain reliable estimates of and 

 monitor the numbers of bottlenose dolphins, by age and sex, being 

 taken incidentally by fisheries in and near each of the 

 designated management areas; and (c) better determine and detect 

 10-20 percent changes in the size and productivity of dolphin 

 stocks subject to live captures and removals and/or incidental 

 take in commercial fisheries. 



With regard to point 1, the Commission noted that it 

 believed a review could best be accomplished by convening a 

 workshop of both independent and federal agency scientists. The 

 Commission further suggested that the workshop be convened at the 

 Service's Southeast Fisheries Center in June or July of 1989. In 

 its letter, the Commission also noted that there are uncer- 

 tainties concerning the reliability of some local abundance esti- 

 mates and that currently authorized levels of take for scientific 

 research and public display, when combined with incidental take 

 in commercial fisheries, may be exceeding two percent of the 

 minimum population estimate in some areas. Pending completion of 

 the recommended workshop and the assessments outlined in the 

 Commission's letter of 12 April 1989, the Commission recommended 

 that live captures and removals be authorized at existing levels, 

 except in areas where there is reason to believe that the 

 authorized level of take, combined with incidental take in 

 fisheries, might exceed two percent of the minimum population 

 estimate. In those areas, any quotas should be adjusted 

 accordingly. 



On 26 June 1989, the Service replied to the Commission's 23 

 May letter noting that it agreed it was desirable to conduct an 

 independent review of available survey data. It also noted that 



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