The decision of the Administrator of the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration and final regulations were 
published in the Federal Register on 31 October 1980 (45 FR 
72178-72196). The Administrator did not adopt the recommenda- 
tion of the administrative law judge that tuna vessel data 
be used to estimate mean school size but did adopt the 
recommendation that the range of the maximum net productivity 
level remain unchanged at 50-70 percent of initial size, 
with a mid-point of 60 percent. The Administrator also 
found that the allocation of historic kill among the various 
stocks that had been used by the Workshop was not consistent 
with the westward progression of the fishing fleet's effort 
and therefore recalculated the historic kill for the northern 
offshore spotted and coastal spotted populations. Taken 
together, these and other factors led the Administrator to 
find that the current size of the northern offshore spotted 
population was 63 percent of its initial size and therefore 
not depleted when compared to the 60 percent maximum net 
productivity level, while both the coastal spotted population 
and eastern spinner population, at 42 percent and 27 percent 
of their initial levels respectively, were depleted. The 
decision and final regulations established a five-year regime 
with regulations governing fishing practices, including the 
ban on "sundown sets" as recommended by the administrative 
law judge, and quotas for.each of the non-depleted stocks for 
1981 through 1985 with a total limit of 20,500 animals that 
may be taken during each of those five years. The Administrator's 
decision also directed the National Marine Fisheries Service 
to: determine whether it is feasible to reduce the quota 
within the next five years; make a complete assessment of the 
affected stocks no later than 1984; and propose modifications 
of the regulations to protect the stocks if evidence developed 
prior to the complete assessments suggests that taking is to 
the disadvantage of any population. A general permit to 
incidentally take porpoise in compliance with the final 
regulations and quotas was issued to the American Tunaboat 
Association on 1 December 1980. 
Research Planning and Coordination 
As part of the continuing consultation between the 
National Marine Fisheries Service and the Commission, repre- 
sentatives of the Commission met with representatives of 
the Service's Southwest Fisheries Center on 6 and 7 October 
1980 to discuss the Center's plans for research activities 
relating to the tuna-porpoise problem. 
Based upon the discussions at the meeting, the Commission 
transmitted comments and recommendations to the Service by 
letter of 7 November 1980. The Commission expressed its 
