Conservation Plan for the Eastern Pacific Stock of Northern Fur Seal (Callorhinus ursinus).

摘要

On June 17, 1988, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) declared the northern fur seal stock of the Pribilof Islands, Alaska (St. Paul and St. George Islands) (Callorhinus ursinus), to be depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) of 1972. NMFS designated the Pribilof Islands northern fur seal population depleted because it declined to less than 50 percent of levels observed in the late 1950s. Amendments to the MMPA on November 23, 1988 (Public Law 100-711), directed the Secretary of Commerce to develop a conservation plan on northern fur seals for 'conserving and restoring the species or stock to its optimum sustainable population.' The amendments further specified that the plan include information on the status of fur seals on the Pribilof Islands, causes of declines, threats to the species, critical information gaps, and research and management recommendations for meeting the objectives of the plan. Accordingly, NMFS published a conservation plan for the northern fur seal in 1993. Having acquired substantial new information and with the greater inclusion of tribal governments in management of the stock, NMFS now publishes this revision of the 1993 conservation plan. This revision has been prepared with valuable input from the Tribal Governments of St. Paul and St. George Island and incorporates substantial new information, research results, and management structures to serve as a guide for interested parties to assist in the implementation of conservation actions.