MARINE MAMMALS 



FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1971 



House of Representatives, 

 Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, 

 Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation, 



Washington,, D.C. 



The subcommittee met at 9 :50 a.m. in room 1334, Longworth Office 

 Building, Hon. John D. Dingell, chairman, presiding. 



Mr. Dingell. The subcommittee will come to order. 



This is a continuation of hearings on legislation to preserve marine 

 mammals. 



We are privileged to have with us this morning the delegation in 

 Congress from the State of Alaska along with several of our colleagues 

 in Congress. 



Mr. Begich, would you care to lead off for the Alaska delegation ? 



STATEMENT OF THE ALASKA DELEGATION TO CONGRESS 



Mr. Begich. Thank you Mr. Chairman. The legislation presently 

 being considered by this subcommittee of the protection of the ocean 

 mammals of the United States and the world is of great importance 

 to all Alaskans. As you well realize, Alaska and its marine areas 

 provide the habitat for many of the species this legislation will 

 endeaver to protect and manage. It is my privilage and pleasure to be 

 joined in submitting testimony for these hearings by the other two 

 members of Alaska's congressional delegation. Senator Mike Gravel 

 and Senator Ted Stevens. 



By coming before this subcommittee together, it is our intent to 

 make clear our commitment to the task you are undertaking, and to 

 confirm our unity on the direction such legislation should take. 



First, we share a commitment to early action designed to gather 

 full information about ocean mammals and the programs which will 

 insure the existence and enhancement of each separate species. The 

 crucial need is for information which can lead to responsible pro- 

 grams. In the outpouring of public information which preceeded these 

 hearings, a common shortcoming was the drawings of judgments re- 

 lating to various species of ocean mammals based on limited and 

 often inaccurate information. The benefits of a comprehensive and 

 fully funded study program cannot be overstated. 



Second, the goal of such a program should be to identify the 

 precise species of ocean mammals which are endangered and to create 

 conservation and management programs which solve the problems 

 which brought the species to an endangered status. To allow general- 

 ization of ocean mammal crises to continue will result in an inefficient 



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