81 



than 1,000 various species that we have already eradicated forever. The whales 

 are of special interest, because they are the largest animals that ever existed, 

 [>ecause they liave a highly developed intelligence, and that their study is ex- 

 tremely meaningful for human physiology. Furthermore, the commercial interest 

 involved in whales are completely archaic and have become most negligible. 

 To act now Arigorously is a duty for mankind. 



It is signed "Jacques Cousteau." 



The second expert wrote some months ago in words so simple they 

 cut right to the substance of wharti we are trying to do today. He 

 wrote : 



Please be kind to the seals and do not let them kill any more. 



It is signed by a 6-year-old constituent of mine whose wisdom per- 

 haps transcends all that of the experts which we will hear today. 



Mr. Chairman, my bill is not without its critics ; legislation of sig- 

 nificance will always give rise to criticism. I have, however, been con- 

 vinced during the period of the last 5 months that some of the criti- 

 cism tliis bill has engendered is not only legitimate, but worth heeding. 

 I am therefore planning to reintroduce H.R. 6558 later today and 

 to incorporate within it major changes which will meet the well- 

 intentioned objections wliich have been raised. 



Specifically, those sections dealing with the North Pacific Fur Seal 

 Convention have been rewritten to meet the objections of those who 

 fear that failure to renew the treaty would give rise to the reinstitu- 

 tion of pelagic sealing. Under the provision of the new bill, the Sec- 

 retary of State would be instructed by the Congress to initiate nego- 

 tiation to obtain agreements with all nations to ban the killing of 

 all North Pacific fur seals. 



In the event of failure to negotiate a new and more extensive treaty, 

 however, the Secretary would, under the new bill, be instructed to 

 renew the North Pacific Fur Seal Convention. This will, at least, in- 

 sure a minimum amount of protection for the fur seal. 



With the permission of the committee, I would like to briefly outline 

 the remainder of the bill, section by section. 



Title I of the Harris-Pryor bill, section 101, contains the finding 

 by Congress that ocean mammals are being ruthlessly hunted and 

 killed. Most of these animals face a periodic suilering and brutality 

 at the hands of man ; many of them have become rare, and others are 

 in imminent danger of extinction. 



Section 102 of title I declares that it is the public policy of the 

 United States to prevent further harassment and killing of these ocean 

 mammals, not only by our unilateral actions, but also by negotiating 

 protective treaties with other nations. The object of these etiorts is to 

 obtain a worldwide ban on the killing of ocean mammals. 



Title II contains the general prohibitions against further killing of 

 ocean mammals by U.S. citizens, vessels under U.S. jurisdiction, or 

 upon any land or water under the jurisdiction of the United States. 



Section 201 of this title contains definitions of "ocean mammals" 

 and other relevant terms. 



Section 200 makes it unlawful for any person or vessel subject to 

 U.S. jurisdiction to engage in the taking of ocean mammals either 

 at sea or on land. It also flatly prohibits the import or export of the 

 skins or other parts of ocean mammals in interstate or foreign com- 

 merce, whether processed or unprocessed, and regardless of where the 

 animal was killed. 



