HJR 35 Summary

• Urges U.S. Congress to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act to expand allowable uses for harvesting marine mammals and permit sale and foreign export of sea otter pelts.

• Requests the U.S. Secretary of the Interior permit Alaska Native organizations and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to co-manage sea otters under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

• Documents that sea otter populations in Southeast Alaska grew from approximately 5,800 in 2003 to over 11,000 by 2010 (13 percent annual growth rate) following reintroduction without a management plan.

• Addresses concerns that the growing sea otter population has depleted shellfish stocks critical to Alaska Native subsistence harvests and coastal community economies.

• Urges the Secretary of the Interior to issue scientific permits allowing the Alaska Department of Fish and Game or Alaska Native organizations to take sea otters as necessary to protect subsistence fishery resources under an approved management plan.