there was no statistically valid estimate of polar bear 
populations in Alaska; a computer model was being refined by 
the Fish and Wildlife Service to utilize available data and 
those being gathered through the Service's mark/recapture 
program; it is likely that proportionately as many or more 
females have been taken since 1977 than in previous years 
and this kill could indeed have reduced the population if 
the take had been sufficiently great; the Service believed 
that it would be inappropriate to declare a population 
"depleted" on the basis of pure conjecture; the Service 
considered the Commission's recommendation "with the implied 
specific purpose of gathering data to declare polar bears 
depleted" to be inopportune and inappropriate; Fish and 
Wildlife personnel would start monitoring polar bear take in 
the spring of 1980; a prototype contract for this purpose 
with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game had been developed 
but had not yet been concluded; and other monitoring contracts 
might be negotiated for subsequent years. 
The Commission responded to the Service by letter of 11 
July 1980 indicating that the Service's interpretation of 
the Commission's recommendation with respect to designating 
the polar bear population as depleted had been incorrect. 
The Commission noted that it had asked the Service for its 
view as to whether or not the population should be designated 
as "depleted" and had recommended that if the Service did 
not have the necessary information to make that determination, 
it establish procedures to monitor the harvest and obtain 
information concerning the status of the polar bear population. 
The Commission noted that its recommendation implied no pre- 
judgment of the status of the polar bear population and it 
again recommended that the Service establish procedures to 
monitor the harvest and obtain information needed to determine 
the status of the polar bear populations. The Commission 
also requested that the Service provide any available additional 
information on the sex ratio of animals taken, the taking of 
females, females with cubs, and cubs, and information on the 
status of the Service's efforts to develop regulations on 
marking marine mammals, its harvest monitoring program, its 
mark/recapture work, and its efforts relating to improving 
the available data base and the computer model. 
The Fish and Wildlife Service responded by letter of 7 
October 1980 summarizing the available information and 
noting that: information on the number, age, sex, and 
location of bears killed had been requested but not yet 
received from the State of Alaska; the Service did not have 
information and therefore could not comment on the sex ratio 
of animals taken in recent years; the Service accepted the 
Commission's recommendations that it take the necessary 
steps to gain the requisite information for determination 
