MARINE MAMMAL COMMISSION - Annual Report for 1998 



gas development, coastal development, commercial 

 shipping, recreational boating, whale watching, 

 military activities, and industrial activities. In addi- 

 tion, under aboriginal subsistence whaling quotas set 

 by the IWC, gray whales are taken by Natives in 

 Russia and, in the past, by Alaska Natives. Between 

 1966 and 1991 an average of 177 gray whales per 

 year was taken for subsistence, primarily in Russia. 

 Reports submitted by Russia to the IWC indicate that 

 42, 85, 43, and 79 gray whales were taken for subsis- 

 tence purposes in Russia in 1994, 1995, 1996, and 

 1997, respectively. 



In 1997 the IWC adopted a new, five-year gray 

 whale quota of 620 whales with the further require- 

 ment that no more than 140 whales be taken in any 

 one year. As discussed below, the United States has 

 negotiating an agreement with the Makah Indian Tribe 

 in Washington state whereby an average of four gray 

 whales per year may be taken under this quota, with 

 the remainder of the quota being allocated for subsis- 

 tence in Russia. Russia reported that during 1998 its 

 nationals landed 122 gray whales. The Makah Tribe 

 did not take any gray whales in 1998. 



Five- Year Research and Monitoring Plan 



As noted above, the eastern North Pacific stock of 

 gray whales was removed from the list of endangered 

 and threatened wildlife in June 1994. During the 

 delisting process undertaken by the National Marine 

 Fisheries Service, the Marine Mammal Commission 

 commented to the Service on the proposal, noting 

 among other things that habitat degradation was a 

 significant threat to the stock's survival. The Com- 

 mission recommended that a more appropriate action 

 would be to downlist the stock to threatened status 

 rather than removing it from the list. However, the 

 National Marine Fisheries Service and the Fish and 

 Wildlife Service jointly amended the list by removing 

 the eastern North Pacific gray whale stock. 



The Endangered Species Act requires that, if a 

 species is delisted, a program must be implemented to 

 monitor its status for at least five years. The National 

 Marine Fisheries Service prepared a draft five-year 

 plan of research and monitoring of the eastern North 

 Pacific gray whale stock and forwarded the draft to 

 the Commission for review. The Commission provid- 



ed comments to the Service in July 1994 recommend- 

 ing, among other things, that the plan be revised to 

 provide for the identification and assessment of human 

 activities that could affect the principal wintering 

 lagoons in Baja California and feeding grounds in the 

 Bering and Chukchi Seas. 



The Commission followed up with a letter in July 

 1995, requesting an update on the status of the five- 

 year plan. In particular, the Commission asked what 

 the Service was doing or intended to do to identify 

 and prevent activities that may pose threats to essential 

 gray whale habitats. In particular, the Commission 

 noted the potentially adverse effects of a proposal to 

 construct a commercial salt operation in San Ignacio 

 Lagoon, Baja California, one of the few gray whale 

 calving and breeding sites. The Commission again 

 recommended that, within its gray whale research 

 program, the Service give highest priority to identify- 

 ing and determining how to prevent or mitigate threats 

 to essential gray whale habitats, particularly the 

 calving and breeding lagoons of Baja California. 



Although the Service did not finalize its research 

 and monitoring plan for the eastern North Pacific 

 stock of gray whales, it has continued to monitor the 

 population in accordance with the draft plan. Each 

 year, the Service has conducted counts of gray whales 

 as they migrate past the California coast. In addition 

 to yielding abundance estimates, these surveys have 

 provided estimates of annual calf production for the 

 population. 



In June 1999 it will have been five years since the 

 delisting of the eastern North Pacific stock of gray 

 whales. As such, the National Marine Fisheries 

 Service has scheduled a workshop for March 1999 to 

 review the status of the stock based on the results of 

 its monitoring program and an assessment of threats 

 currently faced by the population. 



Potential Threats to Gray Whale 

 Breeding Lagoons 



As discussed in previous annual reports, gray 

 whales are exposed to a variety of human activities 

 because much of their lives is spent in nearshore 

 waters, including the shallow, warm-water lagoons 



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