101 



available to answer any questions regarding any other programs that 

 were completed successfully by the Porpoise Rescue Foundation in 

 1976. 



Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. Leggett. Thank you very much. 



Ms. Pryor. I am Karen Pryor from New York City. I am a biolo- 

 gist and a writer and have been serving as a consultant to the Por- 

 poise Rescue Foundation since September of 1976. My pertinent field 

 of expertise is porpoise behavior and especially the behavior of spin- 

 ner and spotted porpoises, having worked extensively with these 

 species as a trainer and a researcher for 8 years in Hawaii. 



I would like to share some of my experiences as a member of the 

 scientific research staff. 



I will skim through the things that have been well covered by 

 other people; but I hope having a viewpoint of at least one of the 

 scientists may be illuminating; and I regret very much that I am 

 the only one in the scientific party who was available for this hear- 

 ing ; because currently James Coe,*the chief scientist, and Dr. Norris, 

 I am sure, have a great deal to tell you. 



Mr. Leggett. Your salary is paid by whom ? 



Ms. Pryor. During the time of tliis cruise, I was a temporary staff 

 member of the University of California at Santa Cruz. I was a gov- 

 ernment employee for the 3 weeks that I was at sea. 



Mr. Leggett. Who are you employed by now? 



Ms. Pryor. By the Porpoise Rescue Foundation as a consultant. It 

 is a running contract to advise and consult on a number of matters. 



At this time, I was there strictly for the purpose of being be- 

 havioral researcher. I joined in New Mexico. This is about halfway 

 through the cruise. There was a kind of ship of scientific personnel. 

 Some went down for the first part of the cruise and some with the 

 second part. 



We went to sea and met the Elizabeth CJ. and I was able to 

 observe the fishing techniques and to dive in the net from under- 

 water as well as above water. 



We heard, of course, the excellent results of this cruise. It was 

 reallv quite remarkable. 



Going from an average loss by the fall of 1976 of 90 porpoises 

 for 100 tons of tuna to less than two porpoises per 100 tons. I may 

 sav I have seen this progress coming. 



The numbers of zero set were going up fast in 1975 to 1976, par- 

 ticularly when we heard the Bold Contender system was introduced, 

 which makes a sort of apron or stairway to guide the porpoises out. 

 It is my feeling that psychologically they have a much easier time 

 crossing a horizontal baV rather than a vertical one. even if they 

 are the same distance under water ; but that is just my hunch. 



Mr. Leggett. What is your hunch again? 



Ms. Pryor. That the porpoises have an easier time crossing a hori- 

 zontal barrier. That the net, that the apron spills out. They can go 

 over that; but the vertical barrier seems to be more of an obstacle 

 to them. 



Anyway, I had really no idea that this level of improvement would 

 come so fast for any ship and I think that many of the scientists 



