under the new regime where they are most needed. The status of 

 each marine mammal stock would be assessed, and the populations 

 in most trouble would receive highest priority for additional re- 

 search efforts. Management and monitoring efforts would be con- 

 centrated on those fisheries that interact with these populations of 

 marine mammals at levels that have the potential to result in sig- 

 nificant adverse impacts to the populations. 



The proposed regime provides a framework for calculating poten- 

 tial biological removals; that is, the total number of animals that 

 may be removed from a marine mammal population while allowing 

 the stock to remain within or recover to its optimal sustainable 

 population. Using data collected during the interim exemption 

 period, NMFS would prepare stock assessment reports for each 

 stock of marine mammals that interacts with commercial fishing 

 operations in U.S. waters. 



These reports would contain information concerning the abun- 

 dance, growth rate, status with respect to OSP, and future research 

 needs for stocks of marine mammals. Potential biological removal 

 (PBR) values would be examined for each stock and, when neces- 

 sary, would be adjusted to reflect potential impacts of commercial 

 fishing on depleted stocks, estimates of minimum abundance that 

 are very low, and potential adverse effects on declining popula- 

 tions. 



Following public and scientific review of the calculated and ad- 

 justed PBR values, NMFS would draft a plan to allocate a portion 

 of PBR for marine mammal stocks to commercial fisheries. The 

 plan would be developed in conjunction with other Federal and 

 State agencies and the Fishery Management Councils. The councils 

 would hold public hearings, solicit public comments, and subrnit 

 recommended changes to NMFS prior to the allocation of PBR's. 



The proposed regime is consistent with the goal of the MMPA to 

 reduce mortality and serious injury to insignificant levels ap- 

 proaching a rate of zero. Research to reduce marine mammal mor- 

 tality and injury incidental to commercial fishing would continue. 

 Under the proposed regime, the major objective of research efforts 

 would eventually shift from assessing populations and determining 

 impact of incidental removals on population status to efforts de- 

 signed to reduce mortality incidental to fishing operations as our 

 knowledge increases. When critical problems are identified, they 

 will be addressed in a timely manner. For example, NMFS is plan- 

 ning a workshop in Fiscal Year 1993 to identify viable options to 

 reduce mortality of harbor porpoise incidental to commercial fish- 

 ing in the Gulf of Maine. 



In summary, our proposed regime to govern interactions between 

 marine mammals and commercial fishing operations provides a 

 framework to fulfill the objectives of the MMPA with minimal re- 

 striction on commercial fishing operations subject to U.S. jurisdic- 

 tion. 



[The prepared statement of Ms. Josephson may be found at the 

 end of the hearing.] 



Mr. Studds. Sorry about that light. Thank you very much for fit- 

 ting in. Dr. Robert Hofman of the Marine Mammal Commission. 

 Dr. Hofman. 



