100 



enforcement activities today. But that is only 12 miles from shore. 

 These people just have to be lo miles from shore with this kind of ^ear 

 and they are legal under our current U.S. law, and yet their activities 

 in many instances are in violation of other international agreements, 

 such as the 175th meridian. 



The Japanese agreed not to fish for salmon east of that line, and that 

 is salmon gear. The real problem is that they are fishing on the high 

 seas for fish that they agreed not to fish on the high seas for. 



We have no way, really, to effectively enforce that if they do not 

 enforce it themselves. In the old days, when Ave had some lever on them, 

 when w^e were providing the Japanese substantial financial help after 

 World War II, it did not occur, and they signed the agreements 

 readil5^ Xow that they are the third economic power of the world, 

 their people are thumbing their noses at us daily, and I think that this 

 is the thing that is going to lead to the enactment of the bill that we 

 are going to put in today if there is not such assurance from the Inter- 

 national Committee that they are going to prevent this activity. 



I think Ave are going to have to preA^ent it and back it up Avith the 

 American XaA'y to make certain that it is prevented. That kind of gear 

 cannot help anything. That is monofilament salmon net, NOAA in- 

 formed us that there Avere 24,000 plastic items estimated at 12 tons of 

 traAvl net and 7.000 gill net floats that Avashed up on the beaches of 

 Amchitka Island in 1 year. That is one island in 1 year, and you haA^e to 

 understand the A'olume of fishing. 



I belabor it. We Avill be happy to see you in GeneA-a, and keep you 

 out of the way of the Japanese, unless Ave Avant to start World War 

 III. We are about to start it. 



We have the greatest protein resources in the world left in the Xorth 

 Pacific, the only really manageable fishery left. It can be preserved if 

 Ave can keep pollution out of it. That is AAdiy I am happy to haA'e my 

 colleagues and good friends in NOAA interested in this. 



So, I am grateful to you, and I am sure the committee is grateful to 

 you for your contribution, and I hope to see you in Alaska about the 

 second or third Aveek of Jul v. "N^Hien are a'ou coins: ? 



Mr. Salmox. What specific date, sir ? We Avould verA' much like to 

 be there. 



Senator Stevens. I have several boats that are going to take friends 

 of mine up there on the Avay to Geneva. 



Off the record. 



[Discussion off the record.! 



Statement of William C. Salmon, Deputy Director, Office of Environmentai 



Affairs, Department of State 



Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee : 



It is a pleasure to appear before you today to discuss the activities of the De- 

 partment of State in the general area of marine pollution control. The Depart- 

 ment's principal responsibilities in this area involve: (1) the management of 

 United States' participation in several intergovernmental organizations active to 

 some degree in marine pollution control; (2) management of United States' par- 

 ticipation in the negotiations of international agreements or treaties designed to 

 curl> marine pollution; and (3) direction of United States Government Federal 

 agencies' cooperation with counterpart agencies in other governments under 

 various bilateral agreements. 



The most comprehensive effort in the recent past to Identify the more important 

 elements of needed international action to deal with marine pollution were those 

 of the United Nations Ccmference on the Human Environment. Meeting in Stock- 



