EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 



This is the 26th Annual Report of the Marine Mammal Commission and its Committee 

 of Scientific Advisors on Marine Mammals. The Commission was established under Title II of 

 the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to provide an independent source of policy and 

 program guidance to Congress and the Executive Branch on domestic and international issues 

 affecting marine mammal conservation. 



The purpose of this report is to provide timely information on management-related issues 

 and events to Congress, federal and state agencies, public interest groups, the academic 

 community, private citizens, and the international community. When combined with previous 

 annual reports, it provides a record of the nation's progress in developing policies and programs 

 to conserve marine manmials and their habitats. To ensure factual accuracy, drafts of the report 

 were provided to involved federal and state agencies and individuals for comment. 



The following highlights certain issues addressed by the Commission in 1998. 



Introduction (Chapter I) 



The Commission consists of three members required by stamte to be knowledgeable in 

 marine ecology and resource management. They are appointed by the President with the advice 

 and consent of the Senate. The nine-member Coimnittee of Scientific Advisors, required to be 

 expert in marine ecology and marine maimnal affairs, is appointed by the Chairman of the 

 Commission in consultation with the other two Conmiissioners. Members of the Commission, 

 the Committee, and the staff are listed in Chapter I, as is information on recent funding levels. 

 For fiscal years 1998 and 1999, the Commission was appropriated $1,185,000 and $1,240,000, 

 respectively. 



Species of Special Concern (Cliapter II) 



In 1998 the Commission devoted special attention to the conservation needs of several 

 marine mammal species and populations. Among those discussed in Chapter II are northern 

 right whales. Gulf of Maine harbor porpoises, Hawaiian monk seals, and Florida manatees. 



Northern Right Whales — The northern right whale is the most endangered marine 

 mammal in U.S. waters and the most endangered large whale in the world. Its largest 

 population, about 300 anunals, occurs off the east coasts of the United States and Canada. Half 

 of the known mortality is caused by human activity, principally collisions with ships and 

 entanglement in fishing gear. At the recommendation of the Marine Mammal Commission, the 

 National Marine Fisheries Service developed a northern right whale recovery plan, which was 

 adopted in 1991. Since 1996 the Service and cooperating federal and state agencies have 

 intensified their protection efforts, guided in part by the Commission's 1996 and 1998 reviews 

 of right whale recovery efforts. 



