Current projects
IPCoMM collaborates with federal and state agencies on marine mammal
subsistence issues. One such example is the Memorandum of Agreement
for Negotiation of Marine Mammal Protection Act Section 119 Agreements
among the U.S. Dept. of Commerce (NMFS), U.S. Dept. of Interior (USFWS),
and IPCoMM, which was signed in October 30, 2006. Otherwise known as
the “Umbrella Agreement,” this MOA provides a foundation
and direction for developing co-management agreements between Alaska
Native organizations and federal agencies.
Preserving traditional knowledge
IPCoMM is looking at ways to preserve Alaska Native traditional knowledge
of subsistence uses of marine mammals, because Native elders are
concerned about their traditional knowledge being sustained. IPCoMM
brought 12 Native students into Anchorage from coastal villages to
its meetings on December 8-9, 2008 and March 10, 2009, as well as
four students to its meeting on February 12, 2010, to observe and
take part in the meetings, attend workshops, and assist in developing
a library/database to hold data regarding indigenous knowledge of
conservation, subsistence harvest and uses of marine mammals and
the ecosystems in which they live. This would assist coastal Alaska
Natives from approximately 125 villages to become aware of the information
they need to know regarding entering into cooperative agreements
with federal agencies and regarding marine mammal species-related
subsistence harvest. IPCoMM has been working under a continuation
grant from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to carry out this program.
IPCoMM capacity building
IPCoMM has been awarded a grant from NOAA/National Marine Fisheries
Service for the next two fiscal years to support IPCoMM’s base
operations and infrastructure needs, as well as for the base operations
of three Alaska Native organizations that are members of IPCoMM, that
work with marine mammal species under NMFS’ jurisdiction, and
that use marine mammals for subsistence purposes, for the next fiscal
year. The three ANOs working under subcontract to IPCoMM for the next
fiscal year are: Bristol Bay Marine Mammal Council, Sitka Marine Mammal
Commission, and Cook Inlet Marine Mammal Council.
