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The third option is to teat the fundamental structure of the 

 MMPA as currently drafted by defining these two marine mammal 

 stocks at OSP. A legislative OSP declaration would in effect be a 

 statement that the Congress considers the populations to be of 

 sufficient health to permit the initiation of a dialogue between 

 the Federal, state, and Tribal Governments on the appropriate scope 

 of management measures to utilize when these marine mammals are 

 causing serious problems. The Congress has at its disposal 

 sufficient information to make a common sense determination about 

 the health of these two animal stocks. Designating animals at osp 

 paves the way for the appropriate wildlife managers to begin to 

 respond to serious problems or crises caused by marine mammals. If 

 such a dialogue produces concrete results, the fundamental 

 structure of the MMPA is reinforced as an effective conservation 

 and management tool. By designating these two stocks at OSP, the 

 West Coast becomes a testing ground to define the scope of 

 management measures and their underlying effectiveness in 

 responding to identified problems." 



Without an OSP determination, there is no management authority 

 to deal with robust marine mammal stocks. The scientists have 

 stated categorically that a positive OSP determination for harbor 

 seals and California sea lions is out of the question for at least 

 five to ter. years, a view confirmed by Dr. Nancy Foster during the 

 August 4 hearing. The pinniped task force, as currently discussed, 

 would not resolve this Catch-22 and provide the basis for wildlife 

 management of these robust stocks . 



The second issue involves the effectiveness of a pinniped task 

 force to respond to the problems facing the wild steelhsad run on 

 Lake Washington remains uncertain. The sea lion predation problem 

 on Lake Washington wild steelhead is approaohing the crisis point. 

 An escapement goal of 1,600 wild steelhead is required to sustain 

 the run. In 1987-88, 2,274 winter-run steelhead returned to Lake 

 Washington. During that period sea lions killed 1178 fish, roughly 

 52% of the winter run. in 1988-89, the sea lions killed roughly 

 65% of the winter run. The next three years (1989-90, 1990-91, and 

 1991-92) found 50-60% of the winter run decimated by less than five 

 sea lions on the Lower Ship canal. After conducting surveys of the 

 1992-93 run on the Lake Washington river system, biologists found 

 the escapement to number less than 150 fish. This is the situation 

 facing the winter run steelhead stock at Lower Ship Canal and the 

 Ballard Looks. 



If legislative authority to remove these problem animals is 

 not in place by December, 1993, the sea lion predation would result 

 in the dramatic diminution of the ability to restore this run over 

 time. Under the worst case, the run may be facing extinction in 

 the short-term. The Congress must keep this short timeframe in 

 mind during the consideration of the MMPA reauthorization this 

 Fall. The Congress should consider special legislation 

 specifically addressing the Ballard Locks if the objective remains 



