145 

 Center for Marine Conservation 



September 13, 1993 



The Honorable Gerry Studds 



Chairman 



U.S. House of Representatives 



Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 



Room 1334 Longworth House Office Building 



Washington, D.C. 20515-6230 



Dear Mr. Chairman: 



Thank you again for the opportunity to present our views on 

 the Marine Mammal Protection Act Amendments of 1993, and to add to 

 the record of the Subcommittee hearing on August 4. 



Your introduction today, with Mr. Young and Mr. Saxton, of a 

 bill to extend for six months the Interim Exemption Period for 

 incidental take in commercial fishing will give all interested 

 parties the opportunity to work with you and the Committee to 

 further refine the approach of your legislation and to work out any 

 differences that remain among the various points of view. We look 

 forward to participating in that process and offering any necessary 

 assistance to you and your staff. 



With regard to the questions from Representative Dan Hamburg, 

 our responses are as follows: 



Do you think that the provisions in H.R. 2760 will adequately 

 address the resource competition problems between the shellfish 

 fisheries of California and the California Sea Otter? If not, do 

 you have any suggestions about how the problem could be resolved? 



Yes, we believe that H.R. 2760 will adequately address resource 

 competition problems between shellfish fisheries of California and 

 the California sea otter. The intent behind H.R. 2760, and its 

 provisions that preserve the status c/uo for sea otters in 

 California, is to keep intact the sea otter protection program 

 established under Public Law 99-625, which was premised on the need 

 to establish zones to protect both sea otters and shellfish 

 resources. Representatives of the California shellfish industry 

 asserted during meetings of the environmental community/fishing 

 industry working group that they desired to preserve the approach 

 established in public law 99-625. At the current time, 

 environmental organizations, including the California-based Friends 

 of the Sea Otter, are comfortable with that approach as well. 

 Accordingly, we see no need for further action at this time. 



Under H.R. 2760, the Endangered Species Act and P.L. 99-625 would 

 govern the incidental taking of California sea otters during 



1 725 DeSales Street, NW, Ste 500 Washington, D.C. 20036 (2021429-5609 Telefax (202) 872-0619 



• * Printed on 100*4 po«t-cor.sumer. unbleached, recycled pipe 



