Recover Protected Species
Total Request $80,677,000
Strategic Plan Chart | Strategic Plan Table
Activity-Based Chart | Activity-Based
Table
Performance Measures
Vision
NOAA's vision is to conserve marine species and to recover those in danger
of extinction. By 2005, NOAA will be on the road to recovering every marine
species at risk and maintaining the healthy marine ecosystems upon which
they depend.
Challenge
Marine resources contribute billions of dollars to the Nation's economy.
However, many commercial and recreational activities contribute to stress
on marine species. Many populations of marine organisms are depleted or
declining due to human activity in marine ecosystems or to unknown causes.
For example, west coast salmon populations are at risk due to a combination
of factors including habitat loss and commercial overexploitation. Despite
protective measures, fishing-related mortality continues to threaten marine
turtles in U.S. waters. Several seal and sea lion populations in Alaska
are declining rapidly, and the causes are uncertain. Recovery plans have
been developed for the most endangered species, but implementation for others,
especially for stocks of marine mammals and sea turtles is needed. The desired
outcome is to recover protected species in danger of extinction in a manner
compatible with the sustainable use of marine resources.
Implementation Strategy
The objectives of this goal are to:
Assess the status of, and impacts to, protected species. Information
is needed to better focus management actions, limit the scope of restrictions,
and promote the recovery of all protected species.
Develop and implement conservation and recovery plans for depleted marine
mammals and endangered and threatened species. This will be done in part
through developing new partnerships with state and private sectors. Technologies
and measures will be developed to reduce or avoid detrimental interactions
between marine species and human activities.
Benefits
Through conservation of the Nation's living marine resources, NOAA will
enhance economic and cultural opportunities for future generations. The
existence of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act
and other legislation provides a clear indication of public support for
strong efforts to conserve living marine resources. This effort will enable
the preservation of marine biodiversity by balancing the utilization of
natural resources with the management of protected species. Recovering species,
and avoiding the further decline of others, will contribute to the overall
health and understanding of marine ecosystems. Improved science will lead
to better long-term management and conservation strategies.
FY 1997 Accomplishments
NOAA both listed species and made substantial progress at reversing the
decline of others in FY 1997. The southern Oregon and California populations
of coho salmon were listed as threatened with extinction, and stocks of
steelhead trout as endangered or threatened on the Upper Columbia River
(Oregon, Washington and Idaho) and the northern California coast. Also listed
as endangered was the Steller sea lion population in the western Gulf of
Alaska.
NOAA is developing conservation programs for the continued protection
of these and other species in cooperation with affected stakeholders, states
and other nations. For example, stocks on the central Oregon coast were
not listed this year, based on conservation measures imposed by the State
to reverse the decline of those stocks. NOAA established cooperative agreements
with Alaskan native organizations to conserve marine mammals, and with the
government of Mexico to conserve sea turtles.
NOAA was instrumental to the passage of the International Dolphin Conservation
Act, a major victory for strong international efforts to protect dolphins
caught during tuna fishing in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. This Act
will change the definition of the standard for the "dolphin-safe"
label affixed to canned tuna sold in the United States to mean that no dolphins
were killed or seriously injured during harvesting of the tuna. The label
change will take effect in March 1999, unless the Department of Commerce
determines that tuna fishing by encircling dolphins has a significant adverse
impact on dolphin stocks.
NOAA has made substantial progress in the recovery of several species
of great whales and marine turtles.
The bowhead whale, which is subject to subsistence take, has recovered
to over 7,000 individuals.
Humpback whales are either recovering (Atlantic) or are stable and possibly
increasing (Pacific).
Fin and sei whales are increasing as threats to recovery from fishing have
been reduced.
The 1997 Kemp's ridley sea turtle nesting season concluded with 2,377
nests recorded, the highest number since the joint U.S./Mexico project began
in 1978. The species is recovering through full protection of Kemp's ridley
nesting beaches and the use of turtle excluder devices in the shrimp trawls
of both nations.
FY 1999 Key Activities
NOAA will dramatically expand Pacific salmonid recovery actions with
Federal, State and private landowners to restore and maintain habitat in
the Pacific Northwest and West Coast and implement conservation practices
conducive to salmon recovery, including:
Providing the necessary consultations and advice to state and private
landowners involved in habitat conservation planning and land use practices
through the Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Working with the Federal landowners participating in the Interior Columbia
Basin Ecosystem Management Project to provide consultation and advisory
services.
Establishing core science and management competency for scientific research
to support expert consultation and advice by NOAA to Federal, state and
private landowners and resource users so that their actions promote the
recovery of endangered and at-risk salmonids.
NOAA will attempt to stem the declines of right whales, Hawaiian monk
seals and Steller sea lions, all of which are on the brink of extinction.
This will be done through a combination of research, monitoring and management
actions to determine the causes for the decline and to implement recovery
measures.
In the case of the monk seal, NOAA will conduct a comprehensive suite
of research and monitoring activities that examine the role of prey depletion,
disease, debris entanglement, and other fishery interactions, combined with
population assessments and monitoring to measure status and progress of
recovery. Based on the findings, appropriate management measures will be
taken to reduce threats to recovery, whether from fisheries or other sources.
For right whales, efforts will focus on reducing fishery interactions
and ship-strike mortality through a coast-wide early warning system, as
well as population assessment and monitoring to measure population numbers,
composition and status.
Efforts for Steller sea lions will focus on reducing known threats from
fishery interactions and on assessing and monitoring the status of this
endangered stock. |