Regulacje i polityka gospodarcza · 4.10.1995

Marine Mammals; Stock Assessment Reports

Section 117 of the 1994 amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) requires the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to prepare stock assessments for each marine mammal stock that occurs in waters under the jurisdiction of the United States. The Service made draft stock assessments and preliminary guidelines available for public review and comment on August 23, 1994. Comments received from the public and from scientific review groups (established according to section 117) were reviewed and incorporated into the reports and guidelines, as appropriate. Final stock assessments have been completed and are now available for polar bears, walrus, and northern sea otters in Alaska; southern sea otters in California and northern sea otters in Washington State; and two West Indian manatee stocks in the southeastern United States and Puerto Rico. Final guidelines for preparing these stock assessments are also available.