California where they calve and breed. During the past five 



years, the contractors, with the support of the Commission 



and others, have collected information on the number and 



behavior of gray whales and their interactions with humans 



in Laguna San Ignacio. Although these data were evaluated 



and reported in both English and Spanish after each field 



season, it was decided that it would be desirable to integrate 



and assess the data from all years to assist in determining 



whether additional measures were needed to protect the 



whales and/or the calving/breeding lagoons. The Commission, 



therefore, provided additional support for the contractors 



to synthesize and evaluate the data collected over the past 



five field seasons and to recommend such additional research 



and management actions as seem appropriate. The summary 



report and recommendations, expected to be completed early 



in 1983, will be used, as appropriate, as a basis for recommendations 



to the National Marine Fisheries Service, Department of 



State, or other agencies with responsibilities relevant to 



the protection of gray whales and their habitat. 



Workshop on the Biology and Status of Right Whales 

 (New England Aquarium) 



Although commercial hunting of right whales has been 

 prohibited since the mid-1930 's, there is uncertainty as to 

 whether various populations or stocks are increasing, 

 decreasing, or stable. At its 1982 meeting, the Scientific 

 Committee of the International Whaling Commission recommended 

 that a workshop be held prior to its next meeting to assess 

 available data concerning the status of various right whale 

 populations, particularly those in the Okhotsk/Sea of Japan, 

 the northwest Atlantic, the southwest Atlantic, and Australasia. 

 The New England Aquarium subsequently agreed to organize and 

 host the meeting, and the Marine Mammal Commission, the 

 International Whaling Commission, and other organizations 

 have provided funds to cover costs. The workshop will be 

 held in late May/early June 1983 and the resulting report is 

 to be available for consideration during the 1983 meeting of 

 the International Whaling Commission. 



Development of a Right Whale Sighting Network in the 



Southeastern United States 



(Howard E. Winn, Biological Writers and Consultants) 



In the northwestern Atlantic, right whales are known to 

 occur in coastal waters between Cape Cod and Nova Scotia 

 during the summer months. Calving and breeding are thought 



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