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Testimony of the Center for Marine Conservation 



In conclusion, we believe it is time to move on to solving problems. We 

 have learned a lot from the interim Exemption you enacted five years ago. The 

 size of the problem appears to be more manageable than we knew five years ago: 

 of the 81 stocks of marine mammals that are subject to incidental mortality from 

 fishing operations, fishing caused mortality is significant for fewer than one 

 quarter, and may be a factor for a half dozen others. This significant interaction 

 occurs in fewer than a dozen fisheries. We learned that where industry 

 associations took the initiative to educate and apply peer pressure to their 

 members, registration and self-reporting were far more successful than in fisheries 

 where there was no such effort. We learned that across-the-board logbook 

 requirements did not provide much useful information without some additional 

 means of verification. We learned that the price of mandatory levels of observer 

 coverage was beyond our fiscal capability. We learned that intentional killing of 

 marine mammals is a considerable source of mortality in some fisheries. 



We urge you to consider using the targeted approach of the Joint Proposal 

 in revising H.R. 2760 because it builds upon what we've learned about the 

 problem of incidental take of marine mammals. In our view, this approach will 

 advance us from documentation of a problem to problem solving, and will move 

 the fishing industry from being part of the problem to being part of the solution. 



Thank you again for this opportunity to testify. We look forward to working 

 with you as you continue your deliberations on the reauthorization of the MMPA. I 

 will be pleased to answer any questions from the Subcommittee. 



