212 



Secondly, by limiting the fnr seal harvest to Government-controlled 

 takinor on land, we have avoided many of the inhumane practices which 

 are presently concerning the public. In contrast to the activities of 

 the seal hunW-s of other countries operating on the ice between Lab- 

 rador and Greenland, no baby seals are taken on the Pribilof Islands. 

 Instead, for the most part, 8-to-4-year-old bachelor males are har- 

 vested, which are surplus to the breeding requirements of the herds. 

 Moreover, only clubbing with a stunnmg instrument followed by 

 exsanguination is used as a method of harvest. The skinning of live 

 seals which, for example, H.R. 4370 and H.R. 7^0 would seek to 

 prohibit as a Federal crime, is never done on the Pribilof Islands, nor 

 would any responsible person condone that or any similar practice. 



There has been much comment concerning the present harvesting 

 method. Alternative means have been tested by both governmental 

 and nongovernmental scientists, using the most sophisticated investi- 

 gative techniques to detennine the most humane way of accomplish- 

 ing the instantaneous loss of consciousness. To date no method has 

 been found which is more humane to the seals than the one currently 

 in use. This conclusion has been fully supported. 



Mr. DiNGELL. At this point, Mr. Pollock, it may be appropriate for 

 the Chair to indicate that the Chair is going to direct the staff to 

 review this if it is not unduly voluminous and we may want to include 

 it in full in the record. 



Without objection, the staff is directed to review the document and 

 to see how it Avill fit into the record and include all or such portions as 

 might be appropriate. 



Mr. Pollock. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have a copy here. I think 

 it has been forwarded to you, some copies, but may I furnish it to 

 counsel. 



Mr. DiNGELL. You certainly may. 



Mr. Pollock. Another problem which continues to receive our 

 attention is that which arises in connection with the inadvertent taking 

 of porpoises in the tuna fisheries in the eastern tropical Pacific as a 

 result of the introduction of purse seines. This problem is of particular 

 concern to us and of equal concern to the American tuna industry. It 

 has been estimated by our Fishery scientists that approximately 250,000 

 porpoises may be inadvertently killed in this manner each year. These 

 estimates, of course, are preliminary and based on a very small sam- 

 pling. Nevertheless, the National Marine Fisheries Service is and has 

 been actively engaged in research to eliminate these takings. It is 

 working on a net with an experimental pneumatic gate designed to 

 permit porpoises to escape unharmed, coupled with, an acoustic simu- 

 lator of killer whale sounds, to drive the porpoises from the net area. 



Mr. Chairman, I have some drawings which I would like to show 

 the committee, if I might, concerning these and then continue with 

 my prepared statement. 



Mr. DiNGELL. Entirely appropriate. 



Mr. Pollock. Mr. Chairman, this is a tuna fishing vessel with a 

 purse seine net and this particular drawing shows the pneumatic gate. 

 This is an experiment and I must say that the experiments thus far 

 have not proven as satisfactory as we would like. 



Mr. Pollock. We are not getting the kind of results we anticipated, 

 but this is one of a number experiments. 



