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environment. In the short term, however, we must tocus on managing humiin activities trom 

 an ecosystem perspective. 



NEGOTIATIONS AMONG INTERESTED PARTIES 



As you know, representatives of the conservation community and fishing industry have 

 been meeting to discuss these and other issues. Participants come from local and national 

 organizations, recreational and commerciaJ operations, and communities from Alaska to 

 Maine-more than 20 organizations in all. We recognize the urgency of the September 

 expiration date, and have set an ambitious timetable for ourselves. We look forward to 

 delivering to you by summer a package that will propose a comprehensive regime to take the 

 place of the interim exemption. 



CONCLUSION 



The marine environment is now showing signs of major stress. In the Bering Sea, Stcller 

 sea lions continue to decline despite rare crashing; harbor seal populations have been in also 

 begun to show declines: some commercially valuable fish species are depleted, and seabirds 

 are showing dramatic drops in abundance estimates. These are warning signals that can no 

 longer be ignored. 



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