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threatened under the Endangered Species Act and, therefore, are 

 considered depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection act. Ma- 

 rine mammal species under service jurisdiction in Alaska are con- 

 sidered to be non-depleted and populations are currently believed 

 to be healthy. 



The Pacific walrus, a population shared with Russia, had an esti- 

 mated minimum population of 201,000 in 1990 based on a joint 

 Russia-U.S. population survey. Although this estimate is less than 

 the estimate of 232,000 animals derived from the 1985 survey, 

 anomalous ice conditions prevailed during the 1990 survey and 

 comparing the two estimates is, at best, a tenuous proposition. The 

 Service believes that the Pacific walrus population is at or near 

 historic high levels and is stable or slightly decreasing. 



The polar bear population in Alaska is shared with both Canada 

 and Russia and is believed to number about 5,000 animals. The 

 northern, or Beaufort Sea, population is estimated to be 1,800 ani- 

 mals. The western, or Bering-Chukchi Sea, population is believed 

 to number about 3,200 animals. The Service considers polar bear 

 stocks in Alaska to be healthy and possibly increasing slightly. 



A growing population of sea otters in Alaska estimated to num- 

 ber between 100,000 and 150,000 has become reestablished in most 

 of the species' historic range and is considered by the Service to be 

 healthy. Although the population as a whole is healthy, specific 

 subpopulations within the State are of concern. The south-central 

 Alaska sea otter population is in a recovery phase from acute mor- 

 tality following the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989, and long-term 

 sublethal effects on the population are not well understood. In 

 southeast Alaska, harvest numbers have increased dramatically 

 and there is concern that the population level may be affected. 



Although the Service believes that population levels of these 

 three Alaska marine mammals are sound, we are considering pro- 

 posals addressing issues necessary to ensure their long-term viabil- 

 ity. These proposals include the following, that will be discussed in 

 the order they appear in the Act. 



Whether the Act's language is precise enough to allow specific 

 protection of marine mammal habitats has been questioned. 



In section 2(7) of the Act, Congress found that marine mammal 

 management should "maintain the health and stability of the ma- 

 rine ecosystem." While single-species-oriented initiatives have 

 achieved some important success under the Act, greater emphasis 

 must be placed on understanding and managing the complex fac- 

 tors that govern the health and stability of the marine environ- 

 ment. 



By adopting an anticipatory, ecosystem-based approach to man- 

 aging marine mammals and their habitat, it should be possible to 

 protect living marine resources, avoid legal restrictions that could 

 hinder resource use and development activities that impact pro- 

 tected species, and advance the Act's primary goal of marine eco- 

 system health and stability. 



To ensure the authority to develop regulations to protect specific 

 threatened or vulnerable habitats, we are considering recommend- 

 ing amendments to sections 2 and 3 to include and broaden habitat 

 protection provisions. The habitat protection provision of the 1973 



