The maximum number of animals, not including natural mortalities, that may be removed from a marine mammal stock while allowing that stock to reach or maintain its optimum sustainable population optimum sustainable population
With respect to any marine mammal population stock, the number of animals which will result in the maximum productivity of the population or the species, keeping in mind the carrying capacity of the habitat and the health of the ecosystem of which they form a constituent element. [defined under MMPA Section 3(9)]
Learn more about optimum sustainable population . The potential biological removal level is the product of the following factors: (a) the minimum population estimate of the stock; (b) one-half the maximum theoretical or estimated net productivity rate of the stock at a small population size; and (c) a recovery factor of between 0.1 and 1.0. [defined under MMPA Section 3(20)]