45 



The regime developed by NMFS incorporates all of these 

 elements. It is based on guidelines submitted to NMFS by the 

 Marine Mammal Commission and was developed in consultation with 

 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, representatives of the 

 fishing industry, conservation groups, and other interested 

 members of the public. The regime proposes a dynamic process 

 that would use information gathered during the Interim Exemption 

 period and govern the interactions between marine mammals and 

 future commercial fishing operations. The regime would maintain 

 stocks of marine mammals within, or promote recovery to, OSP, 

 while placing the minimum restrictions necessary on fishing 

 operations . 



INTERIM EXEMPTION, 1988-1993 



A List of Fisheries categorizing U.S. fisheries according to 

 their historic and inferred take of marine mammals incidental to 

 fishing operations was published in 1989. Vessel owners 

 operating in fisheries that regularly take marine mammals were 

 reguired to register with NMFS and submit logbooks with detailed 

 information on daily fishing effort, areas of fishing, and the 

 nature and extent of all marine mammal interactions. Data were 

 entered into a data management system capable of storing and 

 analyzing data, as well as producing detailed reports. More than 

 15,000 vessels were registered for the exemption program in the 

 first full year, 12,000 in 1991, and 11,000 in 1992; more than 

 5,700 have registered so far in 1993. In 1990 and 1991, 



