210 



From a practical point of view of getting acceptance both in devel- 

 oped nations and developing nations, this is still not a bad measure. 



I pei-sonally would prefer perhaps some level somewhat higher than 

 that, but I think that it is not a bad international basis. 



You can see yourself, Mr. Chairman, with everybody having a 

 little different point of view, having somewhat diiferent objectives, 

 some other level is very difficult to define. 



Mr. Din(;fxl. Do you think we ought to take some steps to put some 

 more teeth in the International Wlialing Commission? 



Mr. McKerxan. Yes. 



Mr. DiNGELL. Do you have any suggestions as to what those could 



or should be ? 



Mr. McKernan. AYell, reference was made this morning to con- 

 sideration of the economics of the industry. 



It is int<^rpreted by us to be a secondary consideration, but still 

 it has been used as a consideration for avoidmg the hard realities of a 

 substantially reduced catch. 



I would favor a conservation convention which considered the 

 conservation of the resource as the primary objective. 



Mr. DiNGELL. Is it fair to say that the International Whaling Com- 

 mission has not been so constituted and the convention, as drawn, 

 does not really consider faithfully that objective ? 



Is that not a fair statement? 



Mr. McKernan. Yes; it certainly has done less than a satisfactory 

 job, from my point of view. 



It has not done as well as I consider it should have done in relation 

 to its terms of reference, but I think it is by far the best vehicle we 

 have at the present time, and I very frankly am in favor of staying with 

 it, within it. and working within to try and correct its deficiencies. 



Mr. DiNGELL. Mr. McKernan, the committee is grateful to you and 

 we thank you for your presence and you have been very helpful. 



Our next witness is Mr. Howard Pollock, Deputy Administrator of 

 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Depart- 

 ment of Commerce. 



We welcome our former colleagTie and member of this committee. 



STATEMENT OF HOWARD W. POLLOCK, DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR, 

 NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, U.S. 

 DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE; ACCOMPANIED BY WILLIAM 

 TERRY, RAUD JOHNSON, WILLIAM KIRKNESS, GEORGE HARRY, 

 DR. WILLIAM PERRIN 



Mr. Pollock. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. Chairmain, I would like to have come to the table with me Mr. 

 Bill Terry and Mr. Raud Johnson. 



Mr. Johnson is our general counsel for NOA. 



Mr. Terry has been our deputy director of fisheries and is now our 

 director of international relations. 



I have some other gentlemen I would like to introduce in the audi- 

 ence, Mr. Chairman. 



I have Mr. Kirkness, our acting associate director for research 

 management. 



