307 



MERCURY LEVELS IN HARP SEALS TAKEN FROM GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE 



Weight Mercury levels (p.p.m.) 



of seal 



Specimen number (pounds) Age of seal Meat Heart Flippers Fat Liver 



Pup: 



No.l. — 17Mlday 0.26 



No.2 20H do - .19 



No.3 22^ do .22 



No.4 19J^ do (1) 



No.5 - 23 do 44 



No.6 21 do 28 



No 7 23 do .66 



No.S---! 2m do... .41 



No.9 20J^ do .18 



No. 10 - 20J^ do .12 



Adult: 



No.l 500 lOyears .40 



No.2 600 7years .19 



No.3 600 ISyears .45 



No 4 500 6 years .20 



No.S 500 16 years 28 



No.6 650 15years 91 



No.7 600 lOyears .29 



I Results expected Mar. 16, 1971. 



Source: Inspection Branch, Department of Fisheries and Forestry, Ottawa, Mar. 15, 1971. 



Mr. DiNGELL. You can submit us some indication on the year-by-year 

 basis, the best you have. 



Dr. Harry. This is brand new information, we have only had it for a 

 couple of years. I could make one interesting comment about it, if 

 I could, and just take a second about DDT in sea lions. 



In California we have a small fur seal population and, along with 

 studies of these animals we are looking at some sea lions. This year we 

 found that there was a high abortion rate among the sea lions. There 

 had been a good number of sea lions aborted in recent years. In testing 

 these sea lions, we found out that those that had aborted had from two 

 to eight times as much DDT as those that had not aborted. 



We are not saying this is cause and effect, but it is giving us a little 

 concern. 



Mr. DiNGELL. Well, the two events are contemporaneous. 



Dr. Harry. We are not sure it is causing the fact, but we are con- 

 cerned, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. DiNGELL. I think further information on that for the record 

 Avould be very helpful to us. 



Mr. Pollock. Mr. Chairman, in further response to Mr. Potter's 

 remark, I am sure you are aware of it, but the Interim Convention on 

 the Conservation of the North Pacific Fur Seals has a paragraph in 

 the beginning which says desiring to take effective measures toward 

 achieving the maximum, sustainable productivity of the fur seal re- 

 sources of the North Pacific Ocean so that fur seal populations can be 

 brought to and maintained at the levels which will provide the greatest 

 harvest, year after year, with due regard to their relation to the pro- 

 ductivity of other living marine resources of the area. 



I guess the Japanese are very concerned that the fur seals have been 

 taking a lot of salmon. 



Mr. Pelly. The Japanese have been taking an awful lot of Ameri- 

 can salmon, too. 



I would be very appreciative if they would show their concern by 

 leaving our salmon alone. 



