The Status of Protection Programs for Endangered, Threatened, and Depleted Marine Mammals in U.S. Waters Michael L. Weber David W. Laist 2007 One of a series of reports prepared in response to a directive from Congress to the Marine Mammal Commission to examine the biological viability and cost–effectiveness of protection programs for the most endangered marine mammals in U.S. waters CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE OF STUDY.........................................1 II. MAJOR FEDERAL STATUTORY PROTECTION MEASURES ...........3 The Marine Mammal Protection Act...............................................................................3 The Endangered Species Act.............................................................................................4 Other Authorities...............................................................................................................6 III. SPECIES-SPECIFIC PROTECTION PROGRAMS ..................................7 Sirenians..............................................................................................................................7 Florida Manatee ........................................................................................................... 7 Antillean Manatee, Puerto Rico Population............................................................... 19 Sea Otters..........................................................................................................................20 Southern Sea Otter...................................................................................................... 20 Northern Sea Otter, Southwest Alaska Population..................................................... 27 Pinnepeds..........................................................................................................................30 Caribbean Monk Seal ................................................................................................. 30 Hawaiian Monk Seal................................................................................................... 31 Guadalupe Fur Seal.................................................................................................... 39 Northern Fur Seal, Eastern Pacific (Pribilof Islands) Population............................. 40 Steller Sea Lion, Eastern Population.......................................................................... 44 Steller Sea Lion, Western Population ......................................................................... 46 Cetaceans ..........................................................................................................................53 Blue Whale.................................................................................................................. 53 Bowhead Whale, Western Arctic Population.............................................................. 56 Fin Whale.................................................................................................................... 59 Humpback Whale........................................................................................................ 64 North Atlantic Right Whale......................................................................................... 69 North Pacific Right Whale.......................................................................................... 74 Sei Whale .................................................................................................................... 76 Sperm Whale ............................................................................................................... 78 Beluga Whale, Cook Inlet Population ........................................................................ 83 Bottlenose Dolphin, Mid-Atlantic Coastal Population............................................... 87 Killer Whale, Southern Resident Population.............................................................. 90 Killer Whale, AT1 Group............................................................................................ 93 IV. OVERVIEW AND TRENDS........................................................................96 Statutory Protection Provisions......................................................................................96 Population Status .............................................................................................................97 Species Protection Programs ..........................................................................................97 Threats to Marine Mammal Species and Populations..................................................98 Management Framework................................................................................................99 Critical Habitat ..............................................................................................................100 Recovery Plans and Teams ...........................................................................................100 Management Actions .....................................................................................................102 Staffing and Funding .....................................................................................................105 iii V. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.......................................................................... 112 VI. REFERENCES ........................................................................................... 112 VII. APPENDICES ............................................................................................ 121 Appendix A. Major Federal Statutory Protection Measures.................................... 121 Appendix B. Year 2004 Category I, II, and III Fisheries Affecting Species Listed as Endangered, Threatened, or Depleted .................................................................. 141 Appendix C. Federal and State Expenditures for Listed Species of Marine Mammals ................................................................................................................. 147 Appendix D. Federal and State Expenditures (in $ thousands) for Listed Species of Marine Mammals by Year: 1998 – 2004............................................................... 154 Appendix E. National Marine Fisheries Service Line Items Related to Endangered Marine Mammal Species: 2001–2005 (in $ thousands) ....................................... 158 Appendix F. Federal Funding of Research on Listed Marine Mammal Species by Research Issue: FY1991–FY2000 .......................................................................... 160 Appendix G. Summary of the Status and Protection Programs for Listed Marine Mammals ................................................................................................................. 165 List of Tables Table 1. Status of four major subpopulations of Florida manatees relative to recovery criteria in the 2001 recovery plan..................................................................................................................8 Table 2. Major habitat protection concerns for the four subpopulations of Florida manatees ............10 Table 3. Criteria for downlisting and delisting Florida manatees under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 ......................................................................................................................................12 Table 4. Department of the Interior funding allocations (in $ thousands) for West Indian manatee research and management activities under the MMPA and ESA as cited in administrative reports required by the MMPA: 1980–2000 ........................................................................17 Table 5. Federal and state expenditures (in $ thousands) for recovery of the West Indian manatee, 1998–2004 ............................................................................................................................18 Table 6. Projected funding needs (in $ thousands) to implement recovery activities for Florida manatees during the first five years after adoption of the 2001 Revised Florida Manatee Recovery Plan.......................................................................................................................18 Table 7. Department of the Interior funding allocations (in $ thousands) for southern sea otter research and management activities under the MMPA and ESA as cited in administrative reports required by the MMPA: 1980–2000.........................................................................26 Table 8. Federal and state expenditures (in $ thousands) for the recovery of southern sea otters, 1998–2004 ............................................................................................................................27 Table 9. Federal and state expenditures (in $ thousands) for the recovery of Hawaiian monk seals, 1998–2004 ............................................................................................................................38 Table 10. Projected funding needs (in $ thousands) to implement recovery activities for Hawaiian monk seals during the first five years after adoption of the 2005 draft revised recovery plan........................................................................................................................................38 Table 11. Federal and state expenditures (in $ thousands) for the recovery of the eastern population of Steller sea lions, 1998–2004 .................................................................................................46