164 



the direction of supporting management, to bring those animals back, 

 to restore them. 



Unhappily, with the whims of the fur trade, now that we are at a 

 point where a harvest can be made, the demand is— not nearly what it 

 was when we started out. 



Mr. Kyros. Do you feel that we have an adequate, broadly based 

 program for the research on marine mammals? 



Ik) we have one currently ? 



Dr. LiNDUSKA. No, we do not. Without exception, I do not think 

 there is a single species about which we know enough to do an intelli- 

 gent job of management. 



Mr. Kyros. In light of that statement, would it not be better to lean 

 on the side of conservation and have some sort of moratorium on most 

 of these animals until we get all the facts ? 



Dr. LiNDUSKA. That might apply to a few. I should qualify my 

 response to that. 



In the case of the sea otter, the northern sea otter, while there re- 

 mains a good deal to be learned about them, I think we know enough 

 to do a fairly intelligent job of management and to declare a mora- 

 torium on that animal at this point would not only be unnecessary in 

 terms of the animal welfare, but could work to its disadvantage. 



Mr. Kyros. Some people have expressed concern to me that nuclear 

 testing at Amchitka would have some damaging effects. 



What effect, if any, would that have on the sea otter ? 



Dr. LiNDUSKA. I am afraid I cannot answer. 



Mr. Kyros. No other department has asked you to comment on 

 that? 



Dr. LiNDUSKA. Yes, the Atomic Energy Commission underwrote 

 a fairly ambitious research program in hopes of anticipating what 

 would occur. 



This included tests on confined sea otters as an example and while 

 they have been fairly reassuring as to what might develop, I think 

 it represents one of the unknowns. I do not think that anyone can 

 really say. 



Mr. Kyros. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. DiNGELL. Mr. Anderson ? 



Mr. Anderson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



I have one more question. On the moratorium that Mr. Kyros talked 

 about here, a previous witness said that one of the good points of 

 H.R. 10420 would be that the use of the moratorium would be a good 

 tool to use. 



Now, you have stated the moratorium could be a disadvantage to the 

 nortliern herd of the sea otter. 



Dr. LiNDUSKA. This would also apply to fur seals, the northern fur 

 seals. 



Mr. Anderson. The northern fur seals, yes. Are there any other 

 marine mammals to which the moratorium could be a disadvantage? 



Dr. LiNDUSKA. I think the sea otter have come along to a point 

 where, if we did not continue a nominal harvest in some areas, we 

 would be losing those animals to other causes and with that, there 

 might be enough degradation of habitat as a result of overpopulation 

 to work to the further disadvantage of the animals. 



