NOAA 98-R154

Contact: Scott Smullen                       FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                             10/21/98

NMFS SEEKS PUBLIC COMMENT ON NEW INFORMATION
PROVIDED ON GULF OF MAINE/BAY OF FUNDY HARBOR PORPOISE;

Reopens comment period on a proposal to list as threatened under ESA

The National Marine Fisheries Service is requesting public input on new information the agency has received concerning the harbor porpoise population in the Gulf of Maine and Bay of Fundy since the species was originally proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act.

New biological information on fishery interactions has become available to supplement the agency's understanding of the species' status and factors affecting the species. Information includes recent data on incidental takes, regulations implemented since 1993, and those proposed for implementation under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. The fisheries service will accept comments on this information through Nov. 23, to ensure review of the best available scientific information as it decides whether the species warrants listing as threatened under the ESA.

Since the 1993 proposed listing, the agency has been involved in a number of regulatory actions, regional advisory groups, action plans, and experiments with acoustical deterrents to help protect the harbor porpoise. The agency has kept the potential listing under review in light of new population figures and bycatch data, the agency's ongoing fishery management efforts to reduce harbor porpoise bycatch, and the progress expected through the Marine Mammal Protection Act's take reduction process.

The estimated population size for the Gulf of Maine / Bay of Fundy harbor porpoise population is 54,000 animals. The leading cause of their mortality is incidental take in commercial fishing operations, which averages more than 1,800 deaths per year. A preliminary analysis of the population trend, referenced in this notice, predicts a high probability of extinction within 100 years for this population based on current levels of fishing mortality. The agency's goal of reducing the fishery-related mortality is expected to cut the probability of extinction significantly.

Requests for a reference list of the new information and to provide comments on such, please address letters to Director, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD, 20910.