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Natives, including those from Russia, Canada, and Greenland. 

 Increased openness with Russia has facilitated reestablishment of 

 family ties between Russian and Alaska Natives, but provisions in 

 the Act that prohibit importation have precluded the opportunity 

 for Alaska Natives to receive gift items from Native peoples from 

 Russia, Canada, Greenland, and Norway. Further, the Act prohibits 

 Alaska Natives from taking marine mammal products out of the United 

 States and then returning with those same items. This problem also 

 needs to be addressed. 



Currently, the Act does not provide for lethal take of polar bears 

 in defense of life, an omission that could be viewed as a technical 

 oversight. Lethal takes do occur infrequently. They are currently 

 investigated on a case-by-case basis and are handled as a matter of 

 prosecutorial discretion. We are looking at ways to specifically 

 allow any person to intentionally take a polar bear by harassment 

 for deterrence purpose and, as a last resort lethally, in defense 

 of life. The provision would be specific to defense of life and 

 not to defense of property. 



Presently, we are examining our authority to issue permits for 

 long-term maintenance of rehabilitated but non-releasable marine 

 mammals. To address this issue, we are looking at ways to clarify 

 the current permit requirements of section 104 to make clear that 

 holding facilities must obtain a permit for long-term captive 

 maintenance of rehabilitated marine mammals that are deemed to be 



