16 



International Agreement on the Conservation of Polar Bears may 

 also need to be specifically addressed. 



The Service is concerned with the clarity of definitions in section 

 3. For example, the Act is ambiguous about what constitutes an au- 

 thentic native handicraft, and the lack of specificity hinders man- 

 agement activities such as providing sound legal advice to native 

 hunters. 



The term edible portion is not currently defined, and that has led 

 to the sale of gall bladders and male reproductive organs as 

 aphrodisiacs or for other purposes. The increased sale and inter- 

 state transportation of these items could affect the harvests of cer- 

 tain species, such as polar bears. 



We are also reviewing ways to enhance the management provi- 

 sions of section 101(b) by authorizing the Secretary to initiate the 

 development of harvest restrictions when the population of a spe- 

 cies declines to 10 percent above the depletion level. 



The actual implementation of those restrictions would not occur 

 until the species is at the level of depletion. We are considering a 

 process that would maintain the integrity of the native subsistence 

 exemption while ensuring that a critical regulatory program would 

 be in place at the point of depletion and not years later. 



This proactive approach would ensure that marine mammals 

 continue to provide subsistence benefits to future generations of 

 Alaska natives without imposing unnecessary restrictions on these 

 benefits. 



We emphasize our support of a native exemption, resist any at- 

 tempt to weaken it, and restore our pledge to work with Alaska na- 

 tives should we find ourselves in a depletion situation. Thank you, 

 Mr. Chairman. 



[Statement of Ms. Beattie can be found at the end of the hear- 

 ing.] 



Mr. Studds. Thank you. Let me just reassure members who are 

 wondering about those bells. Six bells is either a recess or an air 

 raid and we have ascertained it was the former. We are back in 

 session. Dr. John Reynolds, Chairman of the Marine Mammal 

 Commission. Dr. Reynolds. 



STATEMENT OF DR. JOHN E. REYNOLDS, CHAIRMAN, MARINE 

 MAMMAL COMMISSION 



Dr. Reynolds. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is a pleasure to ad- 

 dress you and the Committee this morning. 



The written statement that I have provided you is long and com- 

 prehensive and at this point I would just like to summarize certain 

 important points that we made in it. 



Over the past several years many scientists, including members 

 of the Commission and its Committee of Scientific Advisors, have 

 expressed concerns regarding the permitting process. In response 

 to the intensity of these concerns, the Commission convened two 

 workshops in 1993 to discuss the perceived problems and to iden- 

 tify possible solutions. 



Seven major problem areas are identified and noted in my writ- 

 ten testimony. 



In my written statement I also suggest several steps that Con- 

 gress might take to address these problems including the following: 



