196 
ruses and bacteria, and there is some suggestion of transfer into 
the food chain, and some basic changes in marine organisms in 
areas around the dumpsites. I wonder if you can tell me if there is 
progress being made in the scientific community determining when 
we have created irreparable harm to the marine environment? 
Captain CousTEAU. We have already done some irreparable 
harm, but only partially. There are many places in the world 
which will never come back as they were. The problem that we 
have now is to limit this destruction, as little as we can, so as to 
preserve as much as we can for future generations. But irreparable 
damage has already been done in some areas. There are some coral 
reefs that will not come back before millions of years. There are 
coastal areas where certain algae will never come back for several 
thousands of years or maybe never. There are some animals that 
have been eliminated, and we will not see them any more. Destruc- 
tion has occurred already. 
What we are facing now is to stop doing that degradation. That 
is enough. We have done enough harm to the planet. 
Mr. Hucues. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 
Mr. D’Amours. The gentleman from Michigan, Mr. Hertel? 
Mr. HERTEL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 
Captain, it is a great honor to have you here. I want to ask you 
specifically about page 2 of your testimony, where you talk about 
some of the damage that has been done, at the bottom of that page, 
the fact that pollution has closed 20 percent of the commercial 
shellfish beds in this country, masses of sea creatures have died, 
and beaches were closed. I wonder, because of your extensive expe- 
rience and personal travels, if you could give us some specifics of 
species in specific areas of this environmental damage related to 
our own ocean shelf. 
Captain CousTEAu. Let me make it very clear that this para- 
graph here is taken out of official reports of your country. I have 
been witnessing in other parts of the world the same thing. I am 
not, as I said already to another distinguished Congressman, a spe- 
cialist on American waters. I have made that clear. These four 
lines here are taken out of an official report, and I did not want to 
hazard anything that was not admitted. 
But these very same things happen in other countries. In the 
Mediterranean, I can make a list of fish that have practically dis- 
appeared from the northern coast of the Mediterranean. I have a 
list of algae that have also practically disappeared. When I took 
over the Oceanographic Institute in Monaco, we went diving along 
the cliffs and I was witnessing a relatively rich and varied wilder- 
ness. Today there is one type of algae that has invaded everything 
else, because it is the only one that resists the pollution. Damage 
has been done; there is no question. 
The Nice Hospital has 10 times more dermatitis and skin acci- 
dents than 10 years ago. It is a fact. And this happens here also in 
this country; less, however, because you have taken measures earli- 
er than we did, but with the Mediterranean Action Pact, I think 
we are going to do the same. I am optimistic. 
Mr. HERTEL. Do you have a personal opinion as to other coun- 
tries in the world which are the worst polluters? 
