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STATEMENT OF 



DIANA H. JOSEPHSON 



DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY FOR OCEANS AND ATMOSPHERE 



NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION 



DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 



BEFORE THE 



SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES 

 COMMITTEE ON MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES 



HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 



APRIL 20, 1993 



Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee: 



I am Diana H. Josephson, Deputy Under Secretary for Oceans 

 and Atmosphere, U.S. Department of Commerce. I appreciate this 

 opportunity to present the Department's views regarding a long- 

 term regime to govern marine mammals and commercial fishing under 

 the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) . 



Since its enactment the MMPA has been an important element 

 in the conservation of our Nation's Living Marine Resources. The 

 MMPA recognizes that marine mammals are important elements of 

 marine ecosystems and resources of great aesthetic, recreational, 

 and economic significance. The MMPA also established a 

 comprehensive program for marine mammal conservation, which 

 includes maintaining populations within Optimum Sustainable 

 Population (OSP) levels. The MMPA has been a key factor in the 

 conservation of several populations. For example, the numbers of 

 porpoise killed incidental to tuna purse-seine fishing in the 

 eastern tropical Pacific Ocean has been reduced substantially. 



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