228 



3- and 4-year old males captured from the drives. Seals were instrumented to 

 monitor electrocariogram, blood pressure, blood flow and amplitude of brain 

 waves (electroencephalogram). Results of the tests were as follows: 



Succinylcholinc— Three levels of suceinylcholine, 20 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg, and 

 80 mg/kg, were tested. There was no difference in response associated with the 

 three levels of drug administered. However, there were substantial differences 

 in responses from seals surgically instrumented and used in diving experiments 

 before they were injected with suceinylcholine. Three seals receiving no pre- 

 treatment became permanently immobile about 5 minutes after injection and 

 expired 13 to 14 minutes after injection. Time of death wa.s determined by clinical 

 signs of pupil dilation, heart beat, and electro<^-ardiogram. Three seals subjected 

 to anesthesia, surgery, and instrumentation before the experiment died 6% to 

 91/2 minutes after injection. Time of extinction was determined here by inter- 

 pretation of the electroencephalogram. 



Nitrogen and Carbon Dioxide Induced Hypoxia. — Ten seals were dispatched 

 by subjecting them to hypoxic atmospheres of CO2 or N2 in a gas chamber. 

 Death occurred at .an average of 509 seconds (8.5 minutes) in seals subjected 

 to CO2, and 519 (8.7 minutes) for N2. The onset of bradycardia (slowed heart 

 beat) occurred much more rapidly in seals subjected to CO2 than in seals sub- 

 jected N2. No physiological end points measured, except possibly bradycardia, 

 appeared to be affected appreciably by diving tests performed before gassing. 



Stunning and Bleeding. — Ten seals were dispatched by the conventional method 

 of stunning and bleeding. In 7 of the 10 seals, the onset of slowed heart beat 

 occurred 1 to 8 seconds after stunning. Zero blood flow and blood pressure 

 occurred the instant the heart was opened with a knife, usually 1 to 2 minutes 

 after the seal w.as struck. 



For the methods tested in 1970, the following conclusions can be made con- 

 cerning the time lapse between initial application and neurological death. Stun- 

 ning and sticking resulted in the most rapid extinction. Ck)ntrary to what was 

 expected from CO2 tolerance tests on other seals, CO2 appears to be as fast as 

 nitrogen euthanasia. Suceinylcholine took about as long to kill as high con- 

 centrations of CO2 or N2. All of the methods appeared, from clinical observations 

 and human experience, to be preceded by some degree of alarm associated with 

 herding or handling. All of the methods except stunning with a club, required 

 a period of up to several minutes to achieve unconsciousness and insensitivlty 

 to pain. 



Marine Mammal Resource Program — March 1971 



The estimated direct costs for implementation of the 1968 Task Force 

 recommendations during the period 1968-1970 are as follows: 



Imj^rovement to rookery road system .and killing fields to shorten 



drives $88, 700 



Research on alternate methods of killings : 



Virginia Mason Research Center 16, 500 



Special supplies and equipment 1, 800 



Travel (task force and miscellaneous) - 4,000 



Labor — sealing crew (relief clubbers) 13,000 



Total 124, 000 



The Secretary of Commerce, 

 Washington, D.C., September 24, 1971. 

 Hon. John D. Dingell, 



Chairman, Suhcomtnittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation, Committee on 

 Merchant Marine and Fisheries, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 



Dear Mr. Chairman : This is in reply to your letter of September 2 concerning 

 hearings on marine mammal legislation to be held by your committee. 



You asked for any changes in policies or regulations of this Department af- 

 fecting the operations of the National Marine Fisheries Service with regard 

 to marine mammals, following the date of the reorganization plan which trans- 

 ferred the functions of that agency to the Department of Commerce. As you 

 may recall we made the decision last April to terminate the taking of whales 

 on the Endangered Species List by U.S. citizens. This termination will become 



