the Marine Mammal Protection Act's tuna-porpoise provisions 

 enacted in November 1988; and (2) a further reduction in the 

 incidental mortality of porpoise in both the domestic and foreign 

 fishing fleets. 



The 1989 Fishing Season 



In 1980, the National Marine Fisheries Service promulgated 

 final regulations establishing annual quotas for individual 

 porpoise stocks and a total annual allowable take for U.S. 

 fishermen of 20,500 porpoise for the years 1981-1985. A general 

 permit to take porpoise in compliance with those regulations was 

 also issued in 1980 to the American Tunaboat Association. In 

 1984, the Marine Mammal Protection Act was amended to extend the 

 annual quotas, the regulations, and the general permit indefi- 

 nitely and to add quotas for eastern spinner and coastal spotted 

 dolphins. Estimates of the annual incidental kill of porpoise by 

 the U.S. and foreign tuna purse seine fleets since passage of the 

 Marine Mammal Protection Act are listed in the following table. 



Estimated Incidental Kill of Porpoise in the 

 Tuna Purse Seine Fishery 

 In the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean * 



Year U.S. Vessels Non-U. S. Vessels 



368,600 55,078 



206,697 58,276 



147,437 27,245 



166,645 27,812 



108,740 19,482 



25,452 25,901 



19,366 11,147 



17,938 6,837 



15,305 29,598 



18,780 17,146 



22,736 5,065 



9,589 (no data) 



17,732 15,018 



19,205 36,032 



20,696 103,905 



13,992 97,941 



19,712... 65,169 



12,643 



* = Figures do not include possible deaths of 

 seriously injured porpoise released alive. 



** = Preliminary estimate. 



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