CHAPTER I 



INTRODUCTION 



Background 



This is the tenth Annual Report of the Marine Mammal 

 Commission, covering the period from 1 January through 31 

 December 1982. It is being submitted to Congress pursuant 

 to Section 204 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. 



Established under Title II of the Act, the Marine 

 Mammal Commission is an independent agency of the Executive 

 Branch. It is charged with the responsibility for developing, 

 reviewing, and making recommendations on actions and policies 

 of all Federal agencies with respect to marine mammal 

 protection and conservation. 



Personnel 



Three Commissioners, appointed by the President in 

 1981, continued to serve throughout 1982. They are: Dr. 

 James C. Nofziger (Chairman), Canoga Park, California; Dr. 

 Donald K. MacCallum, Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Dr. Robert B. 

 Weeden, Fairbanks, Alaska. The Commission's senior staff 

 members are: John R. Twiss, Jr., Executive Director; 

 Robert J. Hofman, Scientific Program Director; Robert 

 Eisenbud, General Counsel; and JoAnn Lashley, Administrative 

 Officer . 



On 10 December 1982, Congress amended the Marine Mammal 

 Protection Act to require that all future members of the 

 Commission be appointed "by and with the advice and consent 

 of the Senate." This provision, signed into law by the 

 President on 29 December 1982, does not affect the status of 

 the current Commissioners. 



The Commission Chairman, with the concurrence of the 

 other Commissioners, appoints the nine members of the 

 Committee of Scientific Advisors on Marine Mammals, a 

 committee of scientists knowledgeable in marine ecology and 



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