Comment submitted by Roger E. McManus, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Perry Institute for Marine Science

In concert with conversations with several organizations, including the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, we would like to express our appreciation for the opportunity to review and comment on this important document. However, because: 1) the notice for review was posted and the comment period falls within the holiday season, the comment periiod is short (30 days), and 3) there appears to be no formal policy review or informal regulation linked to this initiative, we request an extension in the comment period to the end of January 2010. Such an extension should faciltate mroe thoughtful and extensive comments. I hope this is helpful, but in any case, we will move forward with our review in anticipation of a response to our request. Roger E. McManus Chairman of the Board of Trustees Perry Institute for Marine Science