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awareness about whales, the environment and the whole 

 ecotourism market. 



Today, over 4 million people will participate on whale watches 

 worldwide in over 30 countries. Eighty percent of those partici- 

 pants will enjoy this experience in the United States. However, 

 whale watching does more than give the public an opportunity to 

 see whales in their natural environment. It is a perfect combina- 

 tion of passive science education for all ages that is wrapped in an- 

 ticipation, excitement and appreciation. 



The naturalists on board these programs provide a fun way of 

 educating the public about whales and, equally important, about 

 man's role in habitat protection. Another benefit that whale watch- 

 ing provides is a platform for marine mammal research. Many op- 

 erations work in a symbiotic relationship, where scientists work as 

 naturalists on the boats while they gather otherwise unaffordable 

 research data. 



I agree with Dr. Hofman's comments earlier that important infor- 

 mation about cetacean populations has been gathered this way, 

 and it is shared with the whale watching community and Govern- 

 ment agencies. 



NEWWA's members have been actively involved with NMFS 

 since the whale watching guidelines were first developed in the 

 Northeast region in 1985. In November 1988, we participated with 

 NMFS on a national workshop in Monterey to discuss whale con- 

 servation programs, education, research, and vessel guidelines. In 

 that workshop and in subsequent meetings held in the Northeast, 

 it was agreed that there were no data available to show either 

 short-term or long-term impacts on whales by vessels when they 

 followed the Northeast regional guidelines of 100 feet. 



NMFS Northeast recommended that these same guidelines con- 

 tinue that are in existence today. Last August, NMFS proposed a 

 national minimum approach distance for all whale watch vessels in 

 response to pressure irom animal rights groups and to simplify the 

 legal process within the enforcement division of NMFS. No consid- 

 eration was given to the regional differences of whale populations 

 due to a number of biological and environmental factors. 



The NMFS-proposed regulations made whale watching vessels 

 the target, when the real threat to whales is not from a few whale 

 watch Boats. The real threat to whale populations is from whale 

 entanglements with commercial fishing gear, tanker strikes, and 

 the thousands of uneducated private boaters in the United States. 



NEWWA's mission statement includes the goal to work with Gov- 

 ernment agencies to increase the public knowledge and under- 

 standing of marine mammals and to encourage research to support 

 updated whale watch guidelines if needed. We also support the ac- 

 tive enforcement of these guidelines. The New England Aquarium 

 has supplied videotape, slides, and testimony to NMFS enforce- 

 ment agents in the past. We have also assisted in the 

 disentanglement of whales caught in commercial fishing gear on 

 numerous occasions. 



I have personally seen many commercial whale watch companies 

 police private boaters and inform them of whale watching guide- 

 lines. NMFS does not have the resources to enforce these guide- 

 lines without our help. 



