51 



10420 from the standpoint of the foreign relations of the United States. With 

 respect to other aspects of the bill, the Department defers to the views of the 

 Departments of Commerce and the Interior. 



The Office of Management and Budget advises that from the standpoint of 

 the Administration's program there is no objection to the submission of this 

 report. 



Sincerely, 



David M. Abshiee, 

 Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations. 



Dbtabtmetnt of State, 

 Washington, D.G., September 28, 1971. 

 Hon. Edwabd A. Gabmatz, 



Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, House of Representa- 

 tives, Washington, D.C. 



Deab Mr. Chairman : Your letter of September 14, 1971 requested the com- 

 ments of the Department of State on H.R. 10569, "To protect ocean mammals 

 from being pursued, harassed, or killed, and for other purposes". 



H.R. 10569 appears to be a revision of H.R. 6558 so as to provide primarily for 

 renegotiation and renewal of the 1957 Interim Convention on Conservation of 

 North Pacific Fur Seals in the event that a new treaty to ban all killing of 

 northern fur seals cannot be successfully negotiated prior to the expiration date 

 of the 1957 Convention. The Department's comments on H.R. 6558 were conveyed 

 to you by my letter of September 9, 1971. 



We consider that the provisions of H.R. 10569 relating to possible renewal of 

 the present fur seal treaty are an improvement, though it appears in any event 

 that certain changes in that treaty would be required because of the provisions 

 of Section 402 of the bill, which would impose new conditions as to the numbers 

 and categories of seals which might be killed and as to the sharing arrangements 

 with Canada and Japan. 



Otherwise, the Department recommends against the enactment of H.R. 10569 

 for essentially the same reasons as given in our report on H.R. 6558. The broad 

 approach of the bill does not take into account the different circumstances of 

 different species of marine mammals, and the Department believes that other 

 national and international means are more appropriate for the conservation and 

 protection of over-exploited or endangered species, including the measures ex- 

 pected to develop from the world conference on protection of wildlife which the 

 United States will convene in April, 1972. Further, we believe that few, if any, 

 other nations would at the present time be prepared to enter into negotiations 

 looking to a complete prohibition of the killing of all marine mammals. In 

 addition, the interim provisions of Section 402 of the bill relating to action un- 

 der the present fur seal treaty would, at least in the short term, being into 

 question the fulfillment of United States treaty obligations. 



The Office of Management and Budget advises that from the standpoint of the 

 Administration's program there is no objection to the submission of this report. 

 Sincerely, 



David M. Abshire, 

 Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations. 



Office of the Secretary of Transportation, 



Washington, D.C, September 10, 1971. 

 Hon. Edward A. Garmatz, 



Chairman, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, House of Representa- 

 tives, Washington, D.C. 

 Dear Mr. Chairman : This is in response to your request for this Department's 

 comments on the following bills : 



H.R. 6554 — "To protect ocean mammals from being pursued, harassed, or 

 killed ; and for other purposes." 



H.R. 6558 — "To protect ocean mammals from being pursued, harassed, 

 or killed ; and for other purposes." 



H.R. 7463 — "To protect seals from being pursued, harassed, or kiUed; 

 and for other purposes." 



H.R. 8183 — "To protect ocean mammals, and for other purposes." 

 Enforcement of the proposals, if enacted, would not appear to require signif- 



