Marine Mammal Protection Issues.

Intro -- MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION ISSUES -- MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION ISSUES -- CONTENTS -- PREFACE -- Chapter 1 THE MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION ACT: REAUTHORIZATION ISSUES -- SUMMARY -- INTRODUCTION -- CONSTITUENCY GROUPS -- Commercial Fishing Industry -- Environmental Groups -- Public Display Community -- Animal Protection Advocates -- Native Americans -- Marine Mammal Scientists -- Marine Mammal Managers -- MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION ACT -- 1994 MMPA REAUTHORIZATION -- Implementation of the 1994 Amendments -- Miscellaneous MMPA Amendments -- ISSUES FOR CONGRESS -- Commercial Fishing Interactions with Marine Mammals -- Optimum sustainable population -- Calculating potential biological removal -- Zero mortality rate goal -- Stock assessment process -- Deterrence -- Reinstate limited authorityfor intentional lethal taking -- Integration with fishery management -- Fishery impacts and southern sea otters -- Marine Mammals in Captivity -- Authority for captive marine mammals -- Export of captive animals -- Import of captive animals -- Scientific research on captive marine mammals -- More extensive medical exams for transferred animals -- Necropsies -- Genetic mixing -- Wild versus captive survivorship -- Air quality and noise at facilities -- Rehabilitation and release -- Quality of captive environments -- Programs promoting human interaction with captive dolphins -- Insurance requirement -- Prohibition of traveling exhibits -- Prohibition of wild captures for public display -- Native Americans and Marine Mammals -- Co-management with Native American tribes -- Reporting subsistence takes -- Limitation on the sale of edible subsistence takes -- Definition of subsistence whaling -- Definition of subsistence -- Cultural exchange -- Permits and Authorizations -- Polar bear sport hunting in alaska -- Large incidental takes -- Noise and its effects.

Research permits for NMFS and FWS scientists -- Scientific research permits -- State approval of federal MMPA permits -- Program Management and Administration -- Definition of "Take." -- Trade in marine mammal parts and products -- Management of robust stocks -- Fostering international cooperation -- Harassment -- Management consistency between FWS and NMFS -- Directed research program -- Federal agency roles -- Agency delays in compliance with MMPA deadlines -- Appropriation of agency funding -- CONGRESSIONAL OUTLOOK -- Oceans Commissions Reports -- End Notes -- Chapter 2 NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE: IMPROVED ECONOMIC ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION STRATEGIES NEEDED FOR PROPOSED CHANGES TO ATLANTIC LARGE WHALE PROTECTION PLAN -- WHY GAO DID THIS STUDY -- WHAT GAO RECOMMENDS -- WHAT GAO FOUND -- ABBREVIATIONS -- RESULTS IN BRIEF -- BACKGROUND -- NMFS BASED PROPOSED GEAR MODIFICATIONS ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, BUT IT CANNOT ESTIMATE THE EXTENT TO WHICH RISKS TO WHALES WILL BE REDUCED -- NMFS Based Its Proposed Gear Modifications on Scientific Studies of Whale Entanglement, Scarification, and Sightings -- Uncertainties Exist Regarding the Extent to Which the Proposed Gear Modifications Will Protect Large Whales -- NMFS HAS NOT RESOLVED POTENTIAL IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES WITH USING MODIFIED FISHING GEAR IN ROCKY OCEAN BOTTOM AREAS -- NMFS DID NOT ADEQUATELY REPRESENT UNCERTAINTIES ASSOCIATED WITH PROPOSED GEAR MODIFICATIONS COST AND COULD NOT FULLY ASSESS IMPACTS ON POTENTIALLY AFFECTED FISHING COMMUNITIES -- Significant Uncertainties Exist Regarding NMFS's Cost Estimates of Complying with the Proposed Gear Modifications -- NMFS Could Not Fully Assess the Impacts of the Proposed Changes on Fishing Communities Because It Lacked Data on Fishermen's Ability to Absorb Additional Costs and Remain in Business.

NMFS HAS NOT DEVELOPED STRATEGIES FOR FULLY EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROPOSED GEAR MODIFICATIONS -- Lack of Comprehensive Gear-Marking Requirements Could Hamper Assessment of Proposed Gear Modifications -- NMFS Lacks a Strategy for Assessing Industry Compliance with the Proposed Gear Modifications -- CONCLUSION -- RECOMMENDATIONS -- AGENCY COMMENTS AND OUR EVALUATION -- APPENDIX I. OBJECTIVES, SCOPE, AND METHODOLOGY -- APPENDIX II. COMMENTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE -- GAO Comments -- End Notes -- Chapter 3 NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE: IMPROVEMENTS ARE NEEDED IN THE FEDERAL PROCESS USED TO PROTECT MARINE MAMMALS FROM COMMERCIAL FISHING -- WHY GAO DID THIS STUDY -- WHAT GAO RECOMMENDS -- WHAT GAO FOUND -- ABBREVIATIONS -- RESULTS IN BRIEF -- BACKGROUND -- NMFS FACES SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES IN ACCURATELY IDENTIFYING MARINE MAMMAL STOCKS THAT MEET THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS FOR ESTABLISHING TAKE REDUCTION TEAMS BECAUSE OF DATA LIMITATIONS -- Incomplete Information Reduces the Reliability of NMFS's Strategic Status Determinations -- Outdated Information Reduces the Reliability of NMFS's Strategic Status Determinations -- Imprecise Information Reduces the Reliability of NMFS's Strategic Status Determinations -- Funding Constraints Limit NMFS's Ability to Gather Sufficient Data, But the Agency Has Taken Some Steps to Identify Data Needs -- NMFS HAS NOT ESTABLISHED TEAMS FOR MANY MARINE MAMMALS THAT HAVE MET THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS OF THE MMPA FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS -- NMFS Has Established Teams for 16 Marine Mammals That Have Met the Requirements of the MMPA -- NMFS Has Not Established Teams for 14 Other Marine Mammals That Have Also Met the Requirements of the MMPA -- NMFS HAS HAD LIMITED SUCCESS IN MEETING THE STATUTORY DEADLINES FOR TAKE REDUCTION TEAMS FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.

NMFS Did Not Establish Three of the Five Teams Within the Statutory Deadlines -- Two Teams Did Not Develop and Submit Draft Take Reduction Plans within the Statutory Deadlines -- NMFS Did Not Publish Proposed Take Reduction Plans for Five Teams within the Statutory Deadlines for a Variety of Reasons -- NMFS Has Complied with the Statutory Deadlines for Public Comment Periods -- NMFS Did Not Publish Final Take Reduction Plans for Four of the Five Teams within the Statutory Deadlines -- NMFS DOES NOT HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY FOR EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TAKE REDUCTION REGULATIONS -- Limitations in the Goals and Data That NMFS Currently Uses to Evaluate the Success of Take Reduction Regulations Impede Effective Program Evaluations -- NMFS Studies the Impact of Proposed Take Reduction Regulations prior to Their Implementation, but Has Limited Information about Industry Compliance -- CONCLUSIONS -- MATTERS FOR CONGRESSIONAL CONSIDERATION -- RECOMMENDATION FOR EXECUTIVE ACTION -- AGENCY COMMENTS AND OUR EVALUATION -- APPENDIX I. OBJECTIVES, SCOPE, AND METHODOLOGY -- APPENDIX II. COMMERCIAL FISHING TECHNIQUES AND HOW MARINE MAMMALS ARE AFFECTED -- End Notes -- CHAPTER SOURCES -- INDEX -- Blank Page.

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Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2024. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.