![](media/image1.wmf)

## National Marine Fisheries Service

**Protected Resources Research and Management Services**

Number range CHAPTER**NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS),
requests a \$8.2 million (M) increase from the FY'04 Omnibus level for
Marine Mammal Protection, Dolphin Encirclement, Recovery of Endangered
Large Whales and management of ESA Other species.**

#### FY 2005 Program Changes

Number range CHAPTERAn increase of \$8.2M is requested for the following
activities that were reduced or not funded in FY 2004: Marine Mammal
Protection \$3.4M, Dolphin Encirclement \$1.1M, Recovery of Endangered
Large Whales \$1.0M, and ESA Other species \$2.7M. The funding increases
would allow NMFS to function at levels similar to FY2003.

An increase of \$3.4M for a total of \$7.1M is requested for Marine
Mammal Protection. Specific accomplishments that would be achieved with
the restoration, most of which support NMFS' allowing the take of marine
mammals incidental to fishing, include the following:

\(1\) Convening a court-ordered take reduction team to develop a draft
plan to reduce mortality of marine mammals incidental to the Atlantic
longline fishery,

\(2\) Initiate assessments that should have been conducted in 2004 to
improve estimates of the abundance of offshore cetaceans in the Atlantic
(estimates to be used by the take reduction team),

\(3\) Return observer coverage to near FY2003 levels in the New England
multi-species sink gillnet fishery, the gillnet fisheries in California
and reinstate the Alaska marine mammal observer program,

\(4\) Reinstate assessments for marine mammals in the Pacific Ocean,
including the EEZ along the west coast and Hawaii,

\(5\) Reinstate data collection and recovery efforts for northern fur
seals on the Pribilof Islands,

\(6\) Reinstate research to identify habitat requirements for Cook Inlet
beluga whales, and

\(7\) Reinstate NMFS' ability to respond or coordinate the response of
stranding network members to stranded marine mammals, including mass
strandings.

The FY2005 increase of \$1.1M for a total of \$3.3M for Dolphin
Encirclement would allow NMFS to obtain levels of data collection and
tuna tracking at levels near the effort in FY 2002. The primary
accomplishment would be to reinstate population assessment of dolphins
in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean so that NMFS may assess the impact
of encircling dolphins in the purse seine fishery for yellow-fin tuna.

The FY2005 restoration of \$1.0M for Recovery of Endangered Large Whales
would allow NMFS to resume its dedicated efforts to evaluate the status
of large whale populations globally to ensure that the classification of
these species under the Endangered Species Act is warranted. Specific
projects for FY2005 would include assessment of humpback whales within
the US EEZ in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and would complement
efforts in Hawaii currently underway by the Humpback Whale National
Marine Sanctuary.

NMFS requests restoration of \$2.7M for ESA Other species activities.
This item was not funded in FY2004. The funding is critical to achieving
recovery for those NMFS ESA listed species that do not have a separate
program within NMFS, as well as managing national programs related to
marine acoustics, marine mammal health, and international species
conservation efforts. Specific activities that would be completed with
the increase include the following:

\(1\) Funding of Regional staff to complete ESA section 7 consultations,
implement recovery programs for shortnose sturgeon, gulf sturgeon, white
abalone, Johnson's seagrass, and smalltooth sawfish, and support for
NMFS Candidate conservation activities (those species nearing the need
for ESA listing).

\(2\) Funding International conservation efforts for NMFS trust
resources through the Convention on International trade in Endangered
Species and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

\(3\) Continued research on the impact of marine acoustics on marine
mammals to inform ESA section 7 consultations and the assessment of risk
from noise generating activities.

\(4\) Continued research on the role of harmful algal blooms in the
dynamics (particularly stranding) of marine mammal populations.

Number range CHAPTERNumber range CHAPTER**For More Information:**

**Gary Reisner**

**301-713-2259**