Atlantic and Gulf Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports

The MMPA requires NMFS and USFWS to review stock assessment reports on marine mammal species annually for strategic stocks of marine mammals and at least every three years for stocks of marine mammals determined to be non-strategic. in consultation with regional Scientific Review Groups (SRGs). The SRGs are a broad representation of marine mammal and fishery scientists and members of the commercial fishing industry mandated to review the marine mammal stock assessments and provide advice to the NOAA Assistant Administrator for fisheries. The reports are then made available on the Federal Register for public review and comment before final publication.

Following enactment of the 1994 amendments, the NMFS and USFWS held a series of workshops to develop guidelines for preparing the SARs. The first set of stock assessments for the Atlantic Coast (including the Gulf of Mexico) were published in July 1995 in the NOAA Technical Memorandum series (Blaylock et al. 1995). In April 1996, NMFS held a workshop to review proposed additions and revisions to the guidelines for preparing SARs (Wade and Angliss 1997). Guidelines developed at these and subsequent workshops were followed in preparing the SARs.

In 1997 and 2004 SARs were not produced.

To comply with the MMPA by providing stock assessments of marine mammals at an appropriate time period .

Each report includes:

Description of the stock's geographic range.

Minimum population estimate.

Current population trends.

Current and maximum net productivity rates.

Potential Biological Removal levels.

Status of the stock.

Estimates of annual human-caused mortality and serious injury by source.

Descriptions of other factors that may be causing a decline or impeding the recovery of strategic stocks.

How the Marine Mammal Stock Assessment Reports Are Developed

Data collection, analysis, and interpretation are conducted through marine mammal research programs at the Northeast Fisheries Sciences Center and the Southeast Fisheries Sciences Center y other researchers.

The MMPA provides broad narrative descriptions of what has to be included in stock assessment reports. For example, the reports require a "minimum population estimate" which means we have "reasonable" assurance there are at least the estimated number in the population