87 



16 



it may be useful to note this in report language. 



Section 110 of the Act authorizes the Secretary to make 

 grants or otherwise provide financial assistance to any Federal 

 or State agency, public or private institution, or other person 

 for the purpose of undertaking research relevant to the 

 protection and conservation of marine mammals. In addition, the 

 Secretary has broad authority under section 112(c) to enter into 

 contracts, leases, cooperative agreements, or other transactions 

 as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of the Act. There 

 can be little doubt that financial assistance to Alaska Natives 

 to develop cooperative management plans and to participate in 

 cooperative management activities to protect and conserve marine 

 mammals can be provided under these provisions. 



Further in this regard, the Commission believes that the 

 ongoing development of conservation plans for the polar bear, sea 

 otter, and walrus, provide the appropriate context in which to 

 identify cooperative efforts that should be undertaken and to 

 assess and justify needed funding. 



The amendment to authorize importation of certain marine 

 mammal items is similar to one introduced by Senator Murkowski in 

 the last Congress. That proposed amendment would have 1) 

 authorized Alaska Natives to import into the United States gifts 

 containing marine mammal parts received from Natives of other 

 countries; 2) allowed anyone who legally possesses a marine 

 mammal product in the United States to obtain permission to 

 export, and subseguently re-import, the item; and 3) authorized 

 the issuance of permits for the temporary importation of marine 

 mammal parts into the United States if the importation is 

 associated with an organized cultural exchange. 



Such an amendment would likely have little effect on marine 

 mammal populations, but would have important benefits to Alaska 

 Natives by fostering relations among circumpolar Natives. 

 Senator Murkowski" s bill contained most of the safeguards 

 necessary to prevent abuses of the proposed exceptions. With a 

 few minor modifications, enactment of such an amendment is 

 supported by the Commission. 



The Murkowski bill would have required an Alaska Native 

 importing a gift containing marine mammal parts to register that 

 item with the Secretary. Consideration should also be given to 

 requiring other Alaska Natives to whom such items might be 

 transferred to re-register the item. Also, while the bill 

 implied that items to be exported and re-imported into the United 

 States must be legally possessed by the owner, this should be 

 made an explicit requirement of the provision. 



