Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 102 Part 5.djvu/761

 PUBLIC LAW 100-711—NOV. 23, 1988

102 STAT. 4767

scientific information available, and (v) the use of the best marine mammal safety techniques and equipment that are economically and technologically practicable to reduce the incidental kill and serious injury of marine mammals to insignificant levels approaching a zero mortality and serious injury rate;". (c) Section 108 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1378) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: "(c) The Secretary shall include a description of the annual results of discussions initiated and conducted pursuant to subsection (a)(2)(B), as well as any proposals for further action to achieve the purposes of that subsection, in the report required under section 103(f) of this title.". (d) Section 104(h)(2)(B) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1374(h)(2)(B)) is amended by adding at the end the following new clauses: "(iv) The Secretary shall, by January 1, 1989, prescribe regulations to ensure that the backdown procedure during sets of the purse seine net on marine mammals is completed and rolling of the net to sack up has begun no later than thirty minutes after sundown. The Secretary may waive or otherwise modify such regulations for— "(I) a designated certificate holder on an observed trip if the Secretary determines, based on observer reports, that such restriction is not necessary because the certificate holder has consistently utilized fishing techniques and equipment so as to result in an incidental marine mammal mortality rate during sundown sets that is no higher than the average such rate for the fleet during daylight sets; or "(II) all certificate holders on observed trips if the Secretary determines that such restriction is not necessary because all certificate holders have developed and are utilizing fishing techniques and equipment that assure that the incidental marine mammal mortality rate during sundown sets will be no higher than such rate during daylight sets, "(v) The Secretary may authorize, after public notice and opportunity for comment, designated certificate holders to conduct experimental fishing operations on observed trips, under such terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe, for the purpose of testing proposed improvements in fishing techniques and equipment that may reduce the incidental mortality of marine mammals in the course of commercial yellowfin tuna fishing operations, and the Secretary may waive such terms and conditions of the general permit and this section, other than the quotas on incidental taking of marine mammals and the prohibition against encircling pure schools of certain species of marine mammals, as the Secretary determines to be necessary and appropriate for the conduct of such experimental fishing, "(vi) The Secretary, after public notice and opportunity for comment and consultation with the skippers' panel of experts established pursuant to the general permit, shall develop and implement by not later than the beginning of the 1990 fishing season a system of performance standards to maintain the diligence and proficiency of certificate holders in the use of the best marine mammal safety techniques and equipment that are

Regulations.

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