192 



Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Commission have indicated that they can 

 certainly stand a harvest at the present levels of abundance. 



It seems to me that where there are small localized stocks that have 

 been under heavy exploitation, and are either seriously depleted or in 

 danofer of extinction, obviously a moratorium or a complete ban would 

 be called for. 



I mi<j:ht add, of coui-se, we have called for a ban of a number of 

 species of marine mammals throug^h the Whalin": Commission already. 

 So there is no reluctance on the part of this Government to call for a 

 ban where it is necessary. 



Mr. Kyros. On July 26, before the House Foreign Affairs Commit- 

 tee, the State Department opposed a resolution passed unanimously by 

 the Senate, calling for a 10-year moratorium on whales. 



As a matter of fact, I think you called at that time for a vigorous 

 role of leadersliip in the DVC. 



You have just told us today that you have not yet been able to get 

 the Soviets and Japanese and many other countries who deal with 

 whales, together. Is that not the fact ? 



Mr. IMcKernan. No. I think I may have been misundei-stood. 



I indicated that at least for some of the stocks I felt that the Whaling 

 Commission regulations were pretty much in line with the sustainable 

 yield. For other stocks, they certainly are not. 



The Antarctic stock is a good example. I think the action of the 

 Commission at the recent annual meeting that took place this past 

 June was insufficient, and there should have been a greater reduction 

 in the quota. 



In the case of the North Pacific whales, I think that the Commission 

 probably took quite resj)onsible action, but if my earlier statements 

 left you confused on the matter, I am happy to straighten that out. 



Mr. Kyros. No ; I think you made it perfectly clear. 



In some instances, for example the whales, we have not been able to 



fet the International Whaling Commission to agree. They have not 

 ulfilled your optimistic hope that they would, in spite of the fact that 

 the Senate proposed a 10-year moratorium on the killing of whales. 



Mr. McKernax. Right. As I think you will recall at that particular 

 hearing, in our testimony we indicated that we felt giving the Secre- 

 tary the authority to call for a moratorium was probably the best way 

 to approach it, would probably give us the maximum amount of lever- 

 age and tools to deal with problems in the Whaling Commission. 



Now, there has been a great deal of debate within the U.S. Govern- 

 ment among verj^ well meaning and very laiowledgeable people about 

 the Whaling Commission. 



Some of us have thought we ought to get out of the Wlialing Com- 

 mission and forget about it. 



Others have thought, and some very well-known conservationists 

 have felt that we should stay within the AYhaling Commission and 

 try to work toward the conservation of these species since we have 

 made substantial progress in the past 10 years, very substantial 

 progress. 



This year, we made a rather large step forward, providing for an 

 international inspection scheme. But this is a matter of great concern, 

 whether or not we are better off to quit the Commission, and call for 

 a moratorium on whaling, for example, which, in my judgment, would 

 not be effective. 



