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MMC 1GqGr A5 MARINE MAMMAL ComMMISSION Annual Report to Congress 1991 en / DOCUMENT LIBRARY | Woods Hole Oceanographic Insifiuiion Marine Mammal Commission 1825 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20009 31 January 1992 MARINE MAMMAL COMMISSION Annual Report to Congress 1991 — =x \\ Ce cate ANNA C 7, n yy, LE oe MBL/WHOI iA?0 Oo3 0 1 MON Marine Mammal Commission 1825 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20009 31 January 1992 Table of Contents Listiof Mables Vyacnecicucccrcrecel eco clonedorcnclereie cor teneroterers ome) erential etch elc ileh ota) «ice iii JBOCNHKS QUMMETAT 5 od bod boo U DOOD Oooo Oso O oO DOO Ob OD OO OOOO UGDOOODNS Vv MM rOGUCHIONereneietcrcncnerctolcncnonelcieiioi criecitonoelt oenli eWnoRe-N ioma- NtaetMleNceinao-Wnole lelii!o cl e 1 Personnel! +> .03 5.0 06.7 Sec haketetotal sat sters, COMM eb oto ere ore Rm eR re ens MRS 1 1L 140 011th Se eGR atid Cumbeuter ote ech aly Wie Eke RAMP eh ie AL a Sake Se 1 IE Species Gl: Special Concern kc)ccc1%0) oie a= ove ce ole: 01s a116 01s. 1010 lore)/ @ ope erie) one) oiie|f ey6 )e uiveilel 3 West Indian Manatees <5 S08 ot Fo ta, eS ees Fare ee a 3 Hawaiian» Monk Seal sa. dics ches Seat GS oe Eee Sarin rs omnes SPP sarees: vss 15 Steller; Seasion =.) csc ctes Seat see. ee a ee TR EO RN Rk REA is 70 24 Harbor Seal in-Alaska «2:5 4.2 + =O Di 2 Se. Re I Se Soares rode tR eba 6% 31 North: Pacific: Fur'Sealy s/s eie ae Sed gees 8: Bia. crepe ees eee ee I Rey MSR so cS 32 Pacific*Waltus*,¢ 6.5 5 8c toe « PEAS, Be, RE, BE Se aes Rede ec 37 S Gav Otters x orn sec are stay epee Sos easy ksh egeentes oi Sig A emcee) oe, “oie Zante Wawel Ocken oyS k 43 PolariBear 9.23 fo eee ee 6 RES ee Lee Mead STIRS AOD SEMI. 4 3 47 Northern Right’ Whale" #2 2.5 wet se ot et hat sto e tee PER Atl? DOISTSES «5 51 Humpback Whaley Sf foo gern dt oo cates Se ce ee Cites Mie ce ECR 5) Bowhead’Winales 5.3 cv 2 et che ayct ct& ape chc to t shes = SU eh A oes 61 Gray! Whales coe ee eae ene en me © ae nie ERO. CORU HRA has 2 66 Iara ale Seer eee ae cy hac Se oe Rein 2sB ee ae a) / Alen aath Uaae Sao a 69 Galf of ‘California’ Harbor;Porpoise, «225«SR2 RO2Te 2OMe2 2s2 S3ame : ; 70 Harbor’ Porpoise: 5.2.2.2 + 2s 5 2 Pee a Ss DO eee 2. ei 73 Bottlenose Dolphins S75 2h * eS net > Ae COORG LE SRSLY Se ETAT MYERS «22 76 II. Marine Mammal-Fisheries Interactions .............2cecccccccccccccces 79 Interim Exemption for; Commercial Fisheries +2224 SR. Bee; Fel. ake E . 79 Development of a New Regime to Govern the Incidental Take of Marine’ Mammals atter October 1993. == +: ..-4 S270: JOR MIG Wee... . 84 he Tuna-Porpoise [sse see eee ce yee ee eee ae OEE Ue OS Es 92 IV. International Aspects of Marine Mammal Protection and Conservation ........... 109 international, Whaling Commission «73 224224 242 oe 2 2c os, SER TS SAS... 109 Pion Seas rittnet, PiSReLles se ees teeay i. NoneReene SO Sativa Gre lelGre = aps qusvene aie 119 Conservation and Protection of Marine Mammals in the Southern Ocean ........... 126 Convention for the Protection and Development of the Marine Environment of the Wider Caribbean Region (The Cartagena Convention) ................. 134 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of WildtFauna-and! Flora’ (CITES) Pa . tee Serene Sale.o.e .epe e 136 North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) .....................--. 137 ITUCN—The World Conservation Union, Species Survival Commission, Marne Mammal Specialist: Groups 2S PP eae Pes es 138 V. Marine Mammal Strandings and Die-Offs .......ccc. ce.e .cec.cc.ccc.ce s 141 Unusual Events‘ Occurring in’ 199s 3 icy epee | os cece ene 141 Development of a National Die-Off Response Plan and Improvement of the Regional Stranding Networks ...................2.2--. 143 Workshop on Release of Rehabilitated and Captive Marine Mammals ............. 146 VI... Impacts of Marine Debris) << .s:c.c0<)< 36.6, ccs ocr ye ae 3)a renas ete ions ctenetioonetenowene 147 Backeround grew do ois oa oe ee ee ee 147 he.Marine Entanglement) Researcherogtame ee eennna a 149 Domestic Regulations for Disposal of Ship-Generated Garbage ................. 150 Annex V of the Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships ............ 150 VII. Marine Mammal Management in Alaska ...........00eeceececesesccees 155 Species. Conservation Plans and Species Reports: <. 5.2 2... -.- See eee eee 155 The Bering Sea.and (Gulf of Alaska‘Ecosystems' < . 22: =...eG .a-e- 156 The Exxon: Valdez Oil) Spill in Prince William’Sound.. <2. -..s4aee eee 159 Federal Marine Mammal Marking and Tagging Regulations ................... 162 Litigation Related to Marine Mammals in‘Alaska ....... 2.1.45. eee 162 VIII. Outer Continental Shelf Oil, Gas, and Mineral Development ................ 167 Proposed Offshore Lease Sales: «3. acs cama es ce Se, se eee eee 167 Impactiof OillSpills onvArctic Nativesi 5. ese | cae ee ene 169 Small-fake Exemptions, 2 0%).«. sis je pe os ea aS ee oo ee 170 The Minerals Management Service’s Environmental Studies Program ............. 175 IEX., Research and! Studies Program’ <)., «2 << << <<, « «sone ooreiloucsionev ols opouchioneneicio skekoiel l= 177 Survey of Federally-Funded Marine Mammal Research................-...-. 177 Research Program Reviews, Workshops, and Planning Meetings ................ 177 Commission-Sponsored Research and Study Projects... 3... .% > j-eieeeee 178 X. Permits for Marine Mammal Research, Public Display, and Enhancement ......... 187 Permit. Application Review? Je.cdteak £6) scene ve cre 8 Goh Ree 187 Review of the Permit ‘System! ....... 5... -209: quiine) mee «tegen eee ee 188 Implementation of the 1988 Amendments to the Marine Mammal Protection Act ...... 189 Swim-with-the-Dolphin'Programs <3... 6.26... Ses eso 1a eo ecm tee 190 Feeding Wild Masine:Mammals ay<)o080<% fusqenrtd «aja att 4a ate eee 192 Other: Litigation: | 54 4 50 2. ee oe toss 2 oe hee Gee 193 XI. Marine Mammals in Captivity . 2... 20. cece cece ccc ccc cence rccccces 195 Animal Welfare Act: 9c acciictd qcis es nenaen devel doo Bele ee ote ee 195 BACEY ACE os ois oie ns lok eR s, Gren ousiee colts cet ei BERS oueh chan elec 196 Appendix A: Commission Recommendations: Calendar Year 1991 .........--2-2-+0- 199 Appendix B: Reports of Commission-Sponsored Activities Available from the National Technical Information Service .....ee.e .e ce.ce -ecc-cee s 213 Appendix C: Selected Literature Published Elsewhere Resulting from Commission-Sponsored Activities ... 2.2.2c.cc2 e c.cc. cc.cce e 221 List of Tables Table 1. Marine Mammal Species and Populations Listed as Endangered or Threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act as of 31 December 1991 .........:....... Table 2. Known Manatee Mortality in the Southeastern United States (Excluding Puerto Rico) Reported through the Manatee Salvage and Necropsy Program from 1978-1991 ............. Table 3. Summary of High Counts of Steller Sea Lions at Rookeries and Haulouts in the United States, Canada, and the Former Soviet Union .............. Table 4. Subsistence Harvest Levels for North Pacific Fur Seals in-theyPribilofisiandss 1985:=199 1a t = Oe eee ee eee eee Table 5. Estimated Annual Harvests of Pacific Walruses in Alaska anditheSovietiUnion; 1970 =1989 at yak ao es oes ee eee Table 6. Sea Otter Population Counts by the Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Game, 1982-1991 .............. Table 7. Quotas and Number of Bowhead Whales Taken by Al askaveEskiMOss 1973 = elO OS ok pete en eye ae Ls oc een ee OES eae Table 8. Estimated Percent Observer Coverage for Category I Fisheries Guringrthedmteman Exemption Period. ses ot ee es eine Ne oe eee ae Table 9. Estimated Incidental Kill of Porpoises in the Tuna Purse Seine Fishery invthe Eastern Tropical PacificiOcean; 1972 =1991) vepPere. :See.k .Se ka Table 10. U.S. and Foreign Dolphin Mortality, Kills per Set, Sets on Dolphins, and' Percent of Observer\Coverage, 1988 =.1991..4 25) A2)ife dion, the Anes Table 11. Percent of Foreign Tuna Fleets with Observers Aboard ................ Table 12. Summary of Garbage Discharge Limitations under the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (1973 - 1978) and the U.S. Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, as Amended ........... Table 13. Number of Sea Otters, Walruses, and Polar Bears Presented for Marking ‘and Tageine-by Alaska'Natives 2).-2. 2 2 S22 ei ee ill ; i o; T sae , ahas e ee tir ; a Cadel a 3 . . were) te PL a tS, Rae ar Baa ib eef i ite ws - rape “ees in - Eyw i . iee y ny ? a 4 re. : > ‘al aia dont , i i reg Bie Pee wey.S g aah »- | fc nat bse ag ail & rnees ie <a edo S lna iSaipcnd hir Patloe rite, wy siT t>4 4 - eco Executive Summary This, the nineteenth Annual Report of the Marine Mammal Commission, describes the activities of the Marine Mammal Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors on Marine Mammals during calendar year 1991. The Commission was established under Title II of the Marine Mammal Protection Act to provide guidance on Federal activities and policies, be they domestic or international, that bear on the protection and conservation of marine mammals. The Report is an in-depth summary of Commission activities in this regard. Its purpose is to provide timely information to Congress, government agencies, public interest groups, the academic community, private citizens, and the international community on important issues and events concerning marine mammal protection and conservation. To ensure factual accuracy, the Report was provided in draft form to concerned Federal and State agencies and other involved parties for review and comment prior to publication. As described in Chapter II, the Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors pay special attention to certain marine mammal species and populations each year. Among the species and populations facing the most urgent conservation problems in 1991 were West Indian manatees, Hawaiian monk seals, Steller sea lions, the California population of sea otters, and northern right whales. The West Indian manatee is one of the most endangered marine mammals in the United States. It occurs in coastal waters and rivers of Florida and Georgia and is the largest known group in the species’ North, Central, and South American range. Numbering something more than 1,800 animals, its long-term survival is in doubt. Known deaths in the past three years have exceeded 550, more than 150 of which were caused by water craft. In 1991, for the sixth time in eight years, vessel-related deaths reached a new record high. However, habitat degradation from development may pose an even more serious long-term threat than boats. As noted in Chapter II, the Commission continued to work closely with the Fish and Wildlife Service, the State of Florida, and other groups in 1991 to strengthen manatee recovery efforts. Encouraging progress was made. Boat speed regulatory systems were expanded, additional manatee habitat was added to Federal and State protected area systems, and shoreline development plans received greater scrutiny. Efforts now appear sufficiently comprehensive to have a chance of succeeding if vigorously sustained, but it will take several years before the effectiveness of this expanded program can be judged. The most endangered seal in United States waters is the Hawaiian monk seal. This species, which may number fewer than 1,500 animals, inhabits the remote, largely uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Over the past two years, significant declines in births and beach counts have been recorded. Over the same period, there has been an increase in reports of seal injuries and deaths due to interactions with the Hawaiian swordfish longline fishery that has expanded from about 15 to 150 vessels. In 1991, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, the United States Coast Guard, and the Commission cooperated in efforts to prevent these harmful interactions. The National Marine Fisheries Service also continued to rebuild some seal colonies through headstart and pup rehabilitation programs and to address problems caused by groups of aggressive male seals killing adult females and young seals of both sexes. Substantial progress was made with respect to starting restoration efforts at Tern Island, and planning began in earnest for the repair of the disintegrating seawall, something critical to both the welfare of the seals and the integrity of the Island. Particularly noteworthy were the progress made by the National Marine Fisheries Service’s program staff over the past two years and the substantially improved levels of cooperation amongst all agencies involved in monk seal recovery efforts. In addition to the groups already mentioned, the Hawaiian Monk Seal Recovery Team, the Corps of Engineers, the Navy, and the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources were important contributors. Because of alarming declines in the number of Steller sea lions throughout their range, particularly in Alaska, the species was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1990. In 1991, the Steller Sea Lion Recovery Team constituted by the National Marine Fisheries Service completed and provided a recovery plan to the Service for adoption. At the same time, the Marine Mammal Commission began work to update its 1988 Steller sea lion species account with research and management recommendations. Among the things affecting Steller sea lions were the commercial fisheries for pollock and other groundfish. In these fisheries, sea lions have been caught in nets or shot by fishermen to protect gear and catch, and the fisheries themselves may have depleted sea lion food supplies. In this regard, the Service promulgated emergency rules to close areas within 10 miles of major rookeries to groundfish fishing and adjusted proposed catch limits for pollock downward. Recommendations also were made by the Recovery Team to designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act. The remnant population of sea otters along the central California coast numbers about 1,900 animals and remains at risk. A decline in numbers in the 1980s due to incidental take in gillnets has been stopped by State actions to prohibit the use of gillnets in sea otter habitat and otter numbers again appear to be increasing. The major threat to the population has been and continues to be the possibility of a large oil spill. To address this threat, the Fish and Wildlife Service began efforts in 1987 to establish a separate reserve colony of otters at San Nicolas Island, an island some distance from the mainland colony. To date, however, only a few animals have remained at the Island and efforts to translocate additional animals have ended. In addition, the Exxon Valdez oil spill indicates that one massive spill could affect both the mainland and San Nicolas Vi