Agreement Between the Aleut Marine Mammal Commission and the National Marine Fisheries Service

This Agreement is by and between the Aleut Marine Mammal Commission and the NOAA Fisheries (collectively "Parties") to set forth an operational structure for the conservation and management of all marine mammal subsistence species under NOAA Fisheries jurisdiction in the AMMC Region as further described in this Agreement, with particular focus on the species Eumetopias jubatus and Phoca vitulina referred to respectively, as the Steller sea lion and harbor seal (both collectively herein "Species") and in order to achieve the following goals:

1. To promote the sustained health of the Species in order to protect the culture and way of life of Aleut and other Alaska Natives who rely on the harvest of the Species for subsistence uses in the AMMC Region
2. To promote scientific research and the collection of data, including the traditional knowledge of Aleut and other Alaska Natives, in order to facilitate management decisions concerning the Species in the AMMC Region and elsewhere as appropriate
3. To develop an Action Plan for the conservation of the Species and the co-management of subsistence uses of the Species in the AMMC Region
4. To identify and resolve, as early as possible, through a consultative process, any management conflicts that may arise associated with the Species
5. To provide information to subsistence hunters and the public at large, as a means of increasing the understanding of the sustainable use, management, and conservation of the Species