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ECFF/ Nav7 War College 22 Jan 96 Page 2 



Satellite data could also be critical in the protection of oceanic resources that are of aesthetic, 

 rather than commercial, value. The Northern Right Whale is nearing extinction, and timely 

 information about the movements of individual animals may save it as one of this world's great 

 beasts. Populations and movements of other mammals, such as seals and poqjoises, are matters 

 of considerable dispute, and perhaps there are ways to resolve those disputes. 



Hydroacoustic technology may also be useful in marine mammal issues. There is a nettlesome 

 problem in predation of salmon aquaculture pens by seals. This situation is making life difficult 

 for the salmon farmers in Maine, and poses a barrier to the growth of aquaculture throughout 

 New England. If we could find non-lethal ways to keep those animals away from salmon cages, 

 everybody would be happy, farmers and environmentalists alike. There is also a famous 

 problem in the Ballard locks in Seattle, where sea lions— one animal in particular— are a real 

 threat to endangered wild salmon And in the future, as the ever-growing populations of 

 marine mammals are encountered more frequently by fishermen during their operations, we 

 may need ways to keep them away from our nets. 



I do believe that the greatest potential lies in the application of hydroacoustic technology, both 

 to fishery stock assessment and to our ongoing efforts to reduce the catch of unwanted fish, 

 especially juveniles. My expertise, of course, is limited to reading Arthur Clarke's The Deep 

 Range about thirty years ago, so I don't want to get in over my head But the Navy's ability to 

 identify the source of sounds in the water is legend 



If we had a system of sensors, for example, that let us know when fish were schooling up to 

 spawn, we could act in time to protect them We do our best now, and I don't mean to 

 disparage our present state of fishery science. But a report that a mass of spawning fish was a 

 month early, or a few miles away from where they were last year, would be invaluable. This 

 kind of information would be especially useful for the squid resource, a mainstay of this area's 



