MARINE MAMMAL COMMISSION - Annual Report for 1998 



suggested that, given the extreme condition of the 

 Hawaiian monk seal population and the continuing 

 decline of this species at French Frigate Shoals, an 

 updated assessment of this species was warranted even 

 in the absence of dramatic new information. Similar- 

 ly, the Commission believed that a revised assessment 

 should be prepared for the western North Atlantic 

 coastal stock of bottlenose dolphins. Specific com- 

 ments on individual assessments were also provided. 



The National Marine Fisheries Service expects to 

 publish final revised stock assessments early in 1999. 



Fish and Wildlife Service — The Fish and Wild- 

 life Service published initial assessment reports for the 

 eight stocks of marine mammals under its jurisdiction 

 on 4 October 1995. Three stocks, the Florida and 

 Antillean stocks of the endangered West Indian 

 manatee and the threatened California stock of sea 

 otters, were determined to be strategic stocks. 



As discussed in the previous annual report, the 

 Fish and Wildlife Service issued draft revised stock 

 assessments for southern sea otters in California, 

 northern sea otters in Washington, and the Florida and 

 Antillean stocks of West Indian manatees in April 

 1997. Although the draft revisions incorporated 

 information not available when the original assessment 

 reports were prepared, no changes in the status of 

 these stocks were proposed. 



The Fish and Wildlife Service published a notice 

 announcing the availability of draft revised stock 

 assessment reports for the other marine mammal 

 species under its jurisdiction, those occurring in 

 Alaska, on 5 March 1998. The proposed revisions 

 did not indicate that any of these polar bear, sea otter, 

 or walrus stocks should be reclassified as strategic. 

 The only significant change from the initial reports 

 was the proposal to split Alaska sea otters, previously 

 considered to be a single stock, into three separate 

 stocks based on genetic studies and other information. 



On 14 September 1998 the Service announced the 

 availability of final assessment reports for the Alaska 

 stock of the Pacific walrus and the two stocks of polar 

 bears that occur in Alaska. All three stocks remain 

 classified as non-strategic. Final stock assessments 

 for Alaska sea otters, however, have yet to be issued. 



A provision of section 1 17 of the Marine Mammal 

 Protection Act requires that, if requested by an Alaska 

 Native subsistence hunter, a proceeding on the record 

 must be held before a final stock assessment can be 

 published for any marine mammal stock taken in 

 Alaska for subsistence or handicraft purposes. The 

 Alaska Sea Otter Commission, which represents 

 Alaska Natives who hunt sea otters, submitted com- 

 ments taking issue with the proposed division of 

 Alaska sea otters into three stocks. The Sea Otter 

 Commission did not believe that the Service's propos- 

 al was based on the best available scientific informa- 

 tion or supported by substantial evidence. The Sea 

 Otter Commission therefore requested that, if the 

 Service adhered to the proposed placement of Alaska 

 sea otters into three stocks, a proceeding on the 

 record be conducted. It was the Commission's 

 understanding that at the end of 1998 the Fish and 

 Wildlife Service was consulting with the Alaska Sea 

 Otter Commission in an effort to resolve the issue of 

 stock structure without resorting to a formal hearing. 



The Incidental-Take Regime 



Section 118 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act 

 sets forth the regime governing the take of marine 

 mammals incidental to most commercial fishing 

 operations. It requires the classification of fisheries 

 according to the frequency with which marine mam- 

 mals are taken, registration by fishermen participating 

 in fisheries that frequently or occasionally take marine 

 mammals, monitoring and reporting of incidental 

 taking, and attainment of the goal of reducing inciden- 

 tal mortality and serious injury of marine mammals in 

 commercial fisheries to insignificant levels approach- 

 ing zero within seven years. The section also requires 

 preparation of a take reduction plan for each strategic 

 stock subject to frequent or occasional mortality or 

 serious injury in fishing operations. Each plan is to 

 include recommended regulatory or voluntary mea- 

 sures to reduce incidental mortality and serious injury 

 and recommend dates for achieving specific objec- 

 tives. The immediate goal of the plans is to reduce, 

 within six months, incidental mortality and serious 

 injury to levels less than the potential biological 

 removal level calculated in the stock assessment. The 

 long-term goal of the plans is to reduce incidental 

 mortality and serious injury to insignificant levels 

 approaching a zero rate within five years, taking into 



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