Eric Olson, Chairman
Chris Oliver, Executive Director
SUBJECT: Title
Protected Species Report
end
ACTION REQUIRED:
Review Protected Species report, take action as necessary
Body
BACKGROUND
Pacific Walrus Unusual Mortality Event
The Working Group on Marine Mammal Unusual Mortality Events determined that Pacific walruses could be removed from the list of marine mammals currently affected by disease that has impacted several seal species across the North Slope and Bering Strait regions. The Unusual Mortality Event (UME) for walruses has officially ended, but the UME remains open for ice seals based on continued reports of ice seals with disease symptoms from the Bering Strait region. Despite extensive analyses of tissue samples from affected animals, no known or new infectious viral or bacterial agents, harmful algal toxins, or industrial contaminants have been identified that explain the observed skin lesions or other symptoms in ice seals or walruses.
Northern Fur Seal subsistence harvest DSEIS
NMFS has announced the availability of a Draft Supplemental EIS (DSEIS) for the management of subsistence harvest of northern fur seals on St. George Alaska. The DSEIS has been prepared to assess proposed changes to the management of fur seal harvest activities on St. George Island to allow limited taking of male young of the year and change when and where the subsistence harvests occur on St. George Island.
Marine Mammal Commission
The United States Marine Mammal Commission (MMC) met for their annual meeting from May 6 through May 8 in Washington, D.C. Among the themes discussed at the annual meeting were understanding and managing impacts of climate change on marine mammals in the Arctic, impacts of offshore energy development on marine mammals, and marine mammal bycatch in U.S. and global fisheries. Steve MacLean attended the MMC meeting and sat on a discussion panel concerning marine mammal bycatch in U.S. and global fisheries.
Endangered S...
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