MARINE MAMMAL COMMISSION — Annual Report for 1992 
British Columbia, and Alaska. The administrative 
office of the Consortium has been set up at the 
University of British Columbia. 
The purpose of the Consortium is to conduct, 
within the universities, a program of research on 
North Pacific marine mammals that will address issues 
relevant to fisheries management and complement 
work being done by government agencies. The initial 
focus will be on Steller sea lions. Funding for the 
Studies will come primarily from the fishing industry, 
but other possible sources within academia and 
government are being investigated. 
A Research Committee and a Management Com- 
mittee have been established to help carry out the 
Consortium’s program. Each includes a membership 
comprised of representatives of the fishing industry, 
the involved universities, and state and Federal agen- 
cies, and both committees have met several times. At 
a 27 November 1992 meeting of the Management 
Committee, a five-year research plan was presented 
and discussed. The planning is currently being 
revised and is expected to be approved early in 1993. 
National Academy of Sciences Study 
As noted earlier, the cause or causes of the marine 
mammal and seabird declines in the Bering Sea and 
Gulf of Alaska are unknown, but may be due to 
decreased food availability caused by fishing, natural 
environmental change, or both. There are conflicting 
views as to whether fisheries should be restricted until 
the causes of the declines have been determined, and 
how the uncertainties can best be resolved. 
To identify the most prudent and scientifically 
defensible course of action, the Department of State 
provided funds to the National Academy of Science’s 
Polar Research Board to undertake a comprehensive 
review and evaluation of information concerning the 
Bering Sea ecosystem. At the end of 1992, the Polar 
Research Board was constituting an ad hoc committee 
to undertake the review. The Committee will include 
experts in oceanography, fisheries biology and man- 
agement, marine mammals, seabirds, socio-econom- 
ics, and marine policy. 
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The Committee is to provide an independent 
assessment of the factors that may be responsible for 
observed changes in marine mammals, seabirds, and 
other components of the Bering Sea ecosystem and to 
recommend actions necessary to resolve the uncertain- 
ties. The Committee also is to provide an assessment 
of possible alternative regimes for conserving fishery 
and other marine living resources in the Bering Sea. 
The Marine Mammal Commission and its Commit- 
tee of Scientific Advisors will provide the National 
Academy of Sciences such assistance as it may re- 
quest. 
