with efforts to assess and designate critical habitats for 
monk seals in light of information developed during the 
recently completed "radio-tracking/dive-profile" study of 
monk seals on Lisianski Island (see Chapter II); the Service 
also was developing an education program and information 
brochures on monk seals; and the Service believed that every 
effort should be made to promptly complete the analysis and 
reporting of data from the Laysan Island study. The Commis- 
sion agreed to contract for a study to compile and summarize 
available information on shark fisheries and control programs 
in Hawaii and elsewhere and for an analysis of possible 
direct and indirect effects of on-going and planned fishery 
development in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands. The Commission 
also agreed to consider transferring money to the National 
Marine Fisheries Service to complete the analysis of Laysan 
Island data. 
Following further discussions with the Recovery Team 
Leader, the Commission contracted for the studies on shark 
control programs and fishery development on 8 and 12 August, 
respectively (see Chapter II). On 16 September, the Commission 
concluded an agreement to transfer $21,000 to the Service 
for the analysis of data from the Laysan Island study. 
In addition to taking actions to use the special $100,000 
appropriation to the maximum possible advantage, the Commission, 
in consultation with its Committee of Scientific Advisors on 
Marine Mammals, also reviewed and commented on: (1) the 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Proposed 
Designation of Critical Habitat for the Hawaiian Monk Seal 
(Monachus schauinslandi) in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands; 
and (2) a proposal submitted to the Intergovernmental Maritime 
Consultative Organization (IMCO) to designate areas around 
the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands as "Areas To Be Avoided" 
by large ocean-going vessels. 
The DEIS on critical habitat designation was prepared 
by the National Marine Fisheries Service and forwarded to 
the Commission for review in late February 1980. On 14 May, 
the Commission commented. It noted, among other things, 
that: of the three options presented, the "20 fathom" 
option (i.e., designating critical habitat as all beach 
areas and surrounding waters out to a depth of 20 fathoms) 
was the best supported and most desirable based upon the 
available information concerning habitat requirements and 
the apparently declining status of the monk seal population; 
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