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Mr. Young. Diana, how do you propose to allocate marine 

 mammal takes? Since NOAA has twice recently modified council 

 allocation decisions for fisheries as well as turning down some con- 

 servation-based quotas recommended by the council, should we 

 expect more of the same for marine mammals if your proposal is 

 adopted? 



Dr. Foster. We would expect to allocate the quota through a 

 very elaborate process of input. We would come up with an initial 

 cut at the allocation, and then we would give that to the councils, 

 to the states, get their recommendations, factor their recommenda- 

 tions into the allocation and then do it. 



Mr. Young. NMFS would do it? 



Dr. Foster. Yes. 



Mr. Young. OK. Does your plan propose allocating regulating 

 subsistence takes by the Alaska natives? 



Dr. Foster. No. Our authority right now under the MMPA to 

 regulate subsistence takes is limited, as you know, to control over 

 what they do with the products. And because of that, given our sce- 

 nario — this particular proposal — we would subtract subsistence 

 takes off the top of the PBR because we do not have the authority 

 to regulate subsistence. 



Mr. Young. You are not asking for authority? 



Dr. Foster. We have not asked for that authority. 



Mr. Young. Good. That is good. You know, my interests are two- 

 fold, of course, and there are two different areas where the marine 

 mammals and how they affect the fisheries in Alaska are crucial to 

 not only the subsistence fishery but also the existing commercial 

 fishery and those communities that depend upon the fishery. And 

 we have to make sure that there isn't an enthusiasm that balance 

 gets unbalanced because right now, I think, it is working fairly 

 well although we have been under some challenges in recent years 

 to stop some of the activity that has taken place which would di- 

 rectly affect many of my people up there. And as far as the natives 

 go, you know, this is something I have worked very hard on, and I 

 would like — and we will have some input form those groups specifi- 

 cally and maybe some suggested changes. And we will have to look 

 at that as we go by. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. Studds. I thank the gentleman. Dr. Hofman, an elementary 

 question really. Based on the information we have gathered over 

 the past five years, do we really know enough about marine 

 mammal fishery problems and marine mammal populations to un- 

 dertake a management regime as complex as the one being pro- 

 posed by NMFS? 



Dr. Hofman. I think, Mr. Chairman, that the National Marine 

 Fisheries Service's proposal recognizes the complexity of the issue 

 and sets forth a proposed regime which will work on minimal data. 

 To make the initial management decisions — what basically would 

 be required is a minimum population estimate and some knowledge 

 of the relative status of the population. And even if status is un- 

 known, with the minimum population estimate, they can proceed. 

 So the intent is to resolve a very, very complex situation by taking 

 what, in my view, is a very, very balanced and rational approach. 

 That is to develop a system which will provide protection to marine 



