Report to Congress: Review of Commercial Fisheries' Progress Toward Reducing Mortality and Serious Injury of Marine Mammals Incidental to Commercial Fishing Operations

摘要

Section 118(b) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) is entitled the Zero Mortality Rate Goal (ZMRG) and contains four elements. First, commercial fisheries shall reduce incidental mortality and serious injury (hereafter in this report, the term 'mortality' includes mortality and serious injury unless otherwise noted) to insignificant levels approaching a zero mortality rate. Second, fisheries that maintain insignificant mortality levels approaching a zero rate shall not be required to further reduce incidental mortality. Third, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) must review the progress of all commercial fisheries in reducing incidental mortality to target levels (insignificant levels approaching a zero rate) and must submit a report to Congress on this review. In addition, NMFS shall note in the report any commercial fishery for which additional information is required to accurately assess the level of incidental mortality in the fishery. Finally, for those fisheries in which the rate of incidental mortality is not consistent with target levels, NMFS must take appropriate action under MMPA section 118(f), which contains provisions related to Take Reduction Plans (TRPs).