275 



Currently the various porpoise populations found in the eastern Pacific are 

 relatively large and according to the NMFS, none are biologically depleted 

 nor are they being threatened by recent levels of kill. In the aggregate, the 

 minimum number of porpoise found in the eastern Pacific exceeds 7,856,750 

 animals. They form a part of the ecosystem which the Marine Mammal Pro- 

 tection Act (MMPA) states must be maintained in a healthy state. Their im- 

 pact on or their value to the escosystem are not known at the present time. 

 We do know that they are voracious eaters and are in direct competition with 

 the tunas and other predators for food. At a minimum, the total consumption 

 of forage items by the porpoise exceeds ten million tons per year, about four 

 times the annual volume landed by all the commercial fisheries of the United 

 States. 



PROPOSED TAKE — 1977 



The allowable take of offshore spotted (43,090), white belly spinner (7,840) 

 and eastern spinner (0) porpoise as proposed by the NMFS threatens the very 

 existence of a large segment of the United States purse-seine fleet. The total 

 quota, including miscellaneous species-stocks, is 59,050 animals. The overall 

 quota is too low, and it is distributed in such a manner that it guarantees that 

 the take of certain species-stocks will be reached much sooner than others 

 and this will reduce greatly the ability of the industry to fish on the species 

 whose quotas remain unfilled. 



The distribution of the allowable take will destroy the fleet's efliciency. The 

 take of eastern spinners is set at zero and hence no mixed sets made be made 

 on this species. The fleet is dependent to carying degrees each year, upon the 

 ability to take tunas associated with spotted/eastern spinner mixes until 

 August within the CYRA. In the period 1974-1976, approximately 27.7 percent 

 of the catch in this area on porpoise came from spotted/eastern spinner mixes. 

 Outside of the CYRA, the dependence upon eastern spinners drops somewhat 

 as the mixed schools are predominantly spotter/white belly spinner. Never- 

 theless, the spotted/eastern spinner mix is an important component of an eco- 

 nomically viable fishery on the outside, contributing 11.3 percent of the tuna 

 on porpoise in the 1974-1976 period. 



The contention has been made by some that inasmuch as the quantity of 

 tunas taken in association with eastern spinner porpoise is relatively low in 

 comparison to the overall take of tunas, it is not important to the fleet. At 

 recent hearings before the House, the contention was made that the take on 

 eastern spinners might be as little as ten percent of the total take, hence it is 

 not important. This is incorrect : it is 2S percent on the average and a spin- 

 ner porpoise quota is essential to fleet viability. Approximately 95 large vessels 

 in the fleet are responsible for the bulk of the yellowfin taken in association 

 with porpoise. The profitability of tuna fishing is highly leveraged by volume. 

 The inability to fish eastern spinner mixes will result in not only the loss of 

 fish normally taken with these porpoises but also result in other losses of 

 volume of tuna catch. 



Let me demonstrate, utilizing the trio records of large seiners. 400 tons and 

 greater carrying capacity, that carried NMFS observers in 1974. 1975 and 1976. 



In 1974, 35 of these vessels had : 1.771 total sets : 22.945 tons total catch ; 

 347 sets involving Eastern spinners (19.6 percent) ; and 4.332 tons catch asso- 

 ciated with eastern spinner schools (18.9 percent). 



The distribution of the percentage of catch, by vessel, was as follows : 



Number 

 of 



Percent of total catch on eastern spinners : wwe7s 



Oto 10 16 



11 to 20 6 



21 to 30 2 



31 to 40 2 



41 fb 50 2 



51 to 60 



61 to 70 2 



Thirteen vessels (37 percent) took more than 20 percent of their catch on 

 eastern spinners. On the average, these vessels took 44 percent of their ton- 

 nacre (3.510/7.970) from the eastern soonner-related schools. Without the 

 ability to fish eastern spinner schools, these vessels coiPd not have economically 

 fished the area where eastern spinner mixes occur. Thus, the ability to catch 



