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line agencies to establish, in fiscal year 1978, research programs as provided 

 for in Section 110(a). . ., ., . 



Section '07- The Commission also requests that you consider striking the 

 second sentence of Section 207 which reads: "Not less than two-thirds of the 

 total amount of the sums appropriated pursuant to this section for any such 

 vear shall be expended on research and studies conducted under the authority 

 "of Section 202(a)(2) and (3) of this title." As set forth in our earlier testi- 

 mony and the section of this letter devoted to administrative costs, the Com- 

 mission cannot operate within the limits of this provision if appropriated 

 si DOO 000 or less without, severely diminishing the effectiveness of the Com- 

 mission, the staff, and the Committee of Scientific Advisors on Marine Mani- 



Reaeoech Activities: Your staff has requested further elaboration on the 

 research activities described on pages 5 and G of our 15 April 1977 letter. 

 Section I lists appropriate research activities if an appropriation were made 

 at the $900 000 level; Section II includes additional research which would be 

 possible at the $1,000,000 level ; and Section III outlines further research that 

 plans to support work in behavior and population dynamics. ($150,000) 



Section I : $900,000 Appropriation ; $450,000 for Research and Studies. 



a. Tuna-porpoise research. The tuna-porpoise problem continues to be the 

 most pressing domestic issue. In 1978, the Commission intends to provide sup- 

 port for a chief scientist to supervise the planning of research activities for 

 the dedicated vessel, conduct of research aboard the vessel, and the writing 

 up and interpretation of results following the cruise. The Commission also 

 plans to support work in behavior and population dynamics. ($150,000) 



b. Application of the concept of optimum sustainable populations. The Com- 

 mission is progressing towards a definition of optimum sustainable populations 

 within the carrying capacity of the habitat, taking into account ecosystem 

 considerations, that will be broadly applicable in terms of general wildlife 

 management. This critical philosophical concept underlying the entire Act is 

 appropriately viewed as a more sophisticated and rational mechanism for 

 wildlife management than the concept of maximum sustainable yield as de- 

 veloped in the early 50's, and provides a more sound rationale for manage- 

 ment policies and practices designed to protect and conserve marine mammals. 

 The Commission will hold at least one workshop on the concept, and will sup- 

 port case studies designed to apply the theory to actual marine mammal 

 populations. ($75,000) 



c. Marine mammal /fisheries interactions. In a number of states, notably 

 California, Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, Washington, and Oregon, the interactions 

 of marine mammals with other forms of marine life are of concern to con- 

 servationists, commercial fishermen, and /or sport fishermen. Present under- 

 standing of these relationships is inadequate to allow a reasonable determi- 

 nation of the extent of the real problems. The Commission will assess the 

 problems through workshops and special studies to subsequently provide guid- 

 ance and direction to the line agencies on needed research activities to cope 

 with the problems. ($50,000) 



d. Conservation of Southern Ocean resources. Starting in late 1975, the 

 Marine Mammal Commission began making formal recommendations concern- 

 ing the development of an adequate research program to assess living re- 

 sources of the Southern Ocean for purposes of developing a rational scheme 

 for their protection and conservation. The Commission has also sought to 

 encourage the conclusion of a convention on the conservation of these re- 

 sources with other Antarctic treaty nations. We continue to consider this to 

 be one of the most critical conservation issues affecting not only marine 

 mammals, but a host of other species, and intend to make every effort to see 

 that a meaningful convention is concluded as quickly as is possible. To this 

 end, the Commission will support certain discrete studies to support the policy 

 recommendations which the Commission will make. ($30,000) 



e. Outer Continental Shelf and Coastal Zone research. The Commission hns 

 made a number of recommendations to the Bureau of Land Management 

 concerning Outer Continental Shelf leasing activities. We shall continue to 

 do so in fiscal year 1978, and to make such short-term studies as are needed 

 to gather information in order to comment on proposed activities. Only in this 

 way, can adequate guidance be given. 



As for Coastal Zone activities, the Commission carefully reviewed the Cali- 

 fornia Coastal Plan and offered to make funds available to the State for an 



