136 



heavier construction is typically used and is set closer to shore 

 early in the morning and evening. 



In contrast, the pelagic vessels in the swordfish and 

 bigeye tuna fisheries use much lighter gear than that typically 

 used in the shark fishery, they do not set their gear on the 

 bottom, and they fish further offshore and at night. Indeed, 

 several of these longliners are larger long-range vessels which 

 operate over vast ocean areas in different areas during different 

 times of the year from the Grand Banks to as far away as South 

 America and the Azores. 



Obviously, if several fisheries are added together and 

 treated as one "fishery," the number of mammals reported to be 

 taken looks higher in relation to other "fisheries," particularly 

 when these other "fisheries" are very narrowly defined. 



2. The Longline Data Meeds To Be Verified. 



The interim program presently in effect calls for the 

 collection and timely analysis of a vast amount of data regarding 

 the interaction of fisheries with marine mammals. We are 

 concerned that the data reported for longline vessels is 

 inaccurate and misleading. 



The reports produced by the interim program raise questions. 

 For example, the "estimated number of longline vessels" reported 

 this January by the exemption program (850) exceeds the number of 

 fishery management permits issued as well as the number of 

 vessels registered for the marine mammal program. 



This suggests to us that the report does not accurately 

 reflect the number of active vessels. Atlantic longline landings 



