ing the protocol, and early in 1993 it anticipates 
advising both the Fish and Wildlife Service and the 
Department of State of actions needed to develop 
cooperative polar bear conservation programs with 
both Russia and Canada. 
Oil and Gas Exploration and Development 
The increasing level of human activity in the 
Arctic, particularly those activities related to oil and 
gas exploration and development, poses risks to polar 
bears and other wildlife. As noted earlier, in January 
1989 the Marine Mammal Commission held a work- 
shop to determine ways to assess and minimize the 
possible adverse effects of oil and gas exploration and 
development on polar bears. In its 28 December 1990 
letter forwarding the workshop report to the Fish and 
Wildlife Service, the Commission recommended, 
among other things, that the Service work with the 
Minerals Management Service and the corresponding 
State agency to identify and agree upon information 
that should be contained in site-specific polar bear 
interaction plans, as well as procedures that should be 
used to review and approve such plans. 
On 11 June 1991, the Fish and Wildlife Service 
responded to the Commission’s 28 December 1990 
letter. The Service noted that it anticipated develop- 
ing regulations to give effect to section 101(a)(5) of 
the Marine Mammal Protection Act (see Chapter 
VIII). It expected that they would specify develop- 
ment and approval of site-specific interaction plans as 
one of the requirements for obtaining letters of au- 
thorization allowing the take of polar bears incidental 
to oil and gas activities. The Service also noted that 
the oil and gas industry had been very cooperative in 
responding to recommendations about development 
and implementation of polar bear interaction plans. 
Following distribution of the workshop report, the 
Minerals Management Service contracted for the 
development of guidelines for outer continental shelf 
(OCS) operations in polar bear habitats. The study is 
designed to produce a handbook on design, layout, 
and operation of offshore industrial sites to minimize 
human/polar bear interactions. The handbook will 
include recommendations for responding to human 
encounters with polar bears. As of the end of 1992, 
83 
Chapter III — Species of Special Concern 
it was anticipated that the handbook would be avail- 
able in March 1993. 
As part of its Fiscal Year 1993 Environmental 
Studies Plan, the Minerals Management Service 
proposed to fund a study of the association of previ- 
ously tagged polar bears with offshore drilling and 
production sites in the Arctic and the effectiveness of 
detection and deterrent devices. However, because of 
funding restraints, the study will not be funded during 
Fiscal Year 1993. 
Also, by Federal Register notice of 30 December 
1992, the Fish and Wildlife Service published pro- 
posed regulations to authorize the take of small 
numbers of polar bears and walruses incidental to oil 
and gas operations in the Beaufort Sea. For further 
discussion, see Chapter VIII. 
At the end of 1992, the Commission was consid- 
ering the issues described above to decide what addi- 
tional actions may be needed to conserve polar bears 
and their habitat in Alaska and to ensure that the 
United States is meeting its obligations under the 
Agreement on Conservation of Polar Bears. 
