63 



The Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife has taken the position since 

 1959 that additional regulations are necessary to prevent U.S. nationals from 

 killing bears on the high seas, beyond the jurisdiction of the State of Alaska. 

 There has also grown up a strong sentiment in hunting and non-hunting circles 

 alike, that the hunting of polar bears by airplane should be terminated. For 

 many years the Alaska Department of Fish and Game resisted these pressures ; 

 it has now indicated that it wall eliminate the hunting of polar bears by aircraft 

 for the hunting season of 1973 (and presumably thereafter) "not because we 

 feel it is required to protect the species, but rather because of public sentiment 

 on methods of hunting these animals". (Letter of July 27, 1971 from the Acting 

 Director, Division of Game, to the Office of Endangered Species, Interior). 



There are presently no Federal laws regulating the taking of ix)lar bears — 

 all such regulation is handled by the State of Alaska. In part the new regula- 

 tions prohibiting the hunting of these animals by aircraft was adopted as a de- 

 liberate program to forestall the possibility of the imposition of Federal or 

 international controls. The vast majority of bears killed in Alaska today are 

 taken by this method, which typically involves the use of two airplanes, one to 

 act as a "spotter", which then drives and herds the bear at top speed towards the 

 otlier which has landed with its "hunter" aboard, who may then shoot the ex- 

 hausted bear at his leisure. The State of Alaska has indicated that the disap- 

 pearance of airborne hunters will mean the increasing use of hunting by dog- 

 sled, possibly by boat, and (far more significantly) by snowmobile. This will 

 certainly diminish the scoi)e of the area which the hunter can cover, and will 

 presumably lengthen his stay or restrict the number of bears killed (or both). 

 Whether hunting by snowmobile is significantly more sporting than hunting by 

 airplane remains to be seen. 



The 1965 Alaska conference on the polar bear made the point that the prin- 

 cipal threat to the polar bear arose from man's exploitation — that their habitat 

 was "intact and relatively undisturbed by man". This is no longer the case. 

 The scientists at the 1970 lUCX conference produced a release following that 

 conference, which "noted the increasing economic development in the Arctic, and 

 expressed general concern that serious ecological problems could arise as a 

 result of oil spills, off-shore drilling and other economic activity." Ob-ser^'ers 

 have also noted that grizzly bears and polar bears are suffering from increased 

 predation by man near the drilling and other camps that have sprung up in 

 recent times — these men are known to go out and shoot bears just to relieve the 

 monotony of Arctic life (New York Times. May 7. 1970). 



An affidavit supplied to the Committee by the Department of the Interior, 

 prepared in connection with the law suit already mentioned, appears to but does 

 not, contradict these known facts. In describing the discussions as to whether 

 the polar bear should or should not be classified as "endangered", the Depart- 

 ment argues that "the perils of inimical factors represented by loss or change 

 of habitat, over-exploitation, predation. comi>etition or disease, singly or com- 

 bined, did not jeopardize the species." This may or may not be true, but the 

 operative word in that sentence is species — if there is only one circumpolar spe- 

 cies, then one could freely wii>e out every Alaskan polar bear without endan- 

 gering that species, since the polar bear would continue to exist in other coun- 

 tries. The Department's statement does and cannot take account of the plight 

 of the polar bear in other countries, in none of which except Russia is the polar 

 bear given complete protection. 



THE SEA cow (MANATEE, DUGONG) 



The only remaining species of sea cows in U.S. waters is found in Florida. 

 It is there protected by state law; it is also on the U.S. endangered species list, 

 and completely protected within the boundaries of the Everglades National Park 

 by Federal law and federal officials. 



Manatees are shy by nature, and will not breed in captivity. There are indi- 

 cations that it has suffered from man's activities to a great extent ; one species 

 has disapi^eared within the last century (Steller's sea cow). The Florida species 

 has been taken for meat, and possibly even for "sport." It is threatened by motor- 

 boat operation and by wldescale use of herbicides, which destroy its food supply. 



It is herbivorous; a recent article in the Washington Post by Claire Sterling 

 points to the possible importance of the sea cow as a consumer of the water 

 hyacinth, which has been a source of considerable anxiety and expense to water 

 resource managers, who have found that the water hyacinth tends to proliferate 



