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are under stress and because they are under stress, they do not perform 

 properly. 



I think I have stressed the idea that there is the essential possibility 

 of using these animals again at some future date. 



I do not think it would be 10 years. I think it is much closer to 100 

 years. 



Mr. DiNGELL. As a matter of fact, the lifespan being what it is, 

 it might be less than that. 



Dr. Walker. Yes. I think we have to do additional research on the 

 whales. 



I get a little embarrassed here because I feel the areas in which we 

 should be putting our research money are in areas where we are 

 building things that are more immediate to man. 



I think that the whales are in an environment which will be the 

 last to go. 



I do not subscribe to the idea that the oceans are going to be 

 immediately converted into cesspools, but there are obvious close con- 

 nections between whales and all the other members of the food chain. 



I do not think we can willy-nilly go along and assume if we 

 tamper here with the ecological system that there will be no repercus- 

 sions elsewhere. 



I know time is short, but I just feel so desperately about this, that 

 scientists should not be fighting among themselves about what level 

 we should allow" to be taken. 



I think we should arbitrarily say at the moment it would be to our 

 real advantage to stop, and with that I will stop. 



Thank you very much. 



Mr. DiNGELL. Doctor, you have been very gracious and informative 

 to the committee to come such a great distance and we want to tell 

 you to feel comfortable. I am sure you have other things you would 

 like to say and for that reason, the Chair will hold the record open 

 for such additional inserts as you may wish to make. 



The Chair is advised that you did have a brief film that you would 

 like to show us. 



Dr. Walker. This is on one of my favorites, the gray whale. 



I would like to identify the problem of the gray whale. The gray 

 whale has not been taken commercially since 1934. 



The gray whale has been protected during this period of time and 

 has gradually recovered to some degree, the degree it has recovered is 

 op>en to argument. 



'The whaling station in Richmond, Calif, is viewing this resource 

 very eagerly. 



They would like to augment their brief whaling season by taking 

 the gray whale as it migraites along the California coast, both down 

 and up migration. 



In addition, the Russian and Japanese fleets of the North Pacific are 

 operating during the summer months when the California whale is in 

 the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean. 



Mr. DiNGELL. Are they taking the gray whale ? 



Dr. Walker. We do not know. There is every reason to suspect they 

 are because there are no observers aboard those vessels. It is strictly a 

 gentleman's agreement among themselves. 



