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Senator Stevens. Not only is H.R. 6558 unsound from a conserva- 

 tion point of view, it is also unsound economically. The Aleut residents 

 of the Pribilof Islands would be deprived of their primary source ot 

 livelihood. At the same time, if the convention is repealed, it is very 

 likely that other nations would renew their pelagic sealing efforts, 

 thus not only diverting income from the Pribilof Islanders to foreign 

 nationals but also destroying the scientific management program which 

 has restored the herd. . 



The cogency of these observations is unaerlined in a letter to all 

 Congressmen and Senators and a resolution in which the 600 Aleut 

 residents of the Pribilof Islands have expressed strong opposition to 

 H.R. 6558 and S. 1315. 1 respectfully request that these documents also 

 be included in the hearing record. As these statements indicate, the 

 residents of the Pribilofs are unanimous in their belief that the bills 

 which I have just mentioned are unsound from both an ecological and 

 an economic point of view. 



I would also like to address myself briefly to certain other matters 

 associated with ocean mammal legislation. It seems to me that any 

 legislative proposal which the subcommittee adopts should include 

 an exemption which would permit Alaska Natives to continue to hunt 

 ocean mammals, and especially whales, for subsistence purposes. This 

 suggestion is premised on my firm belief that these activities, which 

 yield an important portion of the nutritional requirements of many 

 Natives living along the coast, would not jeopardize the continuing 

 existence of whales and other ocean mammals. Rather, I believe that 

 the present scarcity of such animals is the product of mass killing for 

 commercial purposes by the nationals of certain foreign countries. 

 Alaska Natives have traditionally been good conservationists, and I 

 am concerned that one of their most important sources of food will 

 not be jeopardized by the imprudent activities of other people. 



In this connection, I should mention that I have been advised by 

 Mr. John W. Townsend, Associate Administrator of the National 

 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, that if the Congress de- 

 cides to enact legislation calling for a 10-year international moratorium 

 on the harvesting of all species of whales, the Department of Commerce 

 would recomemnd an exception for the hunting of such mammals by 

 Alaska Natives for their own use. This recommendation would be 

 based on the Department's own research which reveals that population 

 declines in certain whale species are not caused or affected by sub- 

 sistence whaling activities undertaken by Natives living along the 

 coasts of Alaska. Thus, I would suggest the adoption of language simi- 

 lar to section 203 (a) of H.R. 6558. As you know, this subsection would 

 permit Alaska Indians, Eskimos, and Aleuts to take ocean mammals 

 (except polar bears) for their own noncommercial use provided that 

 such taking is done in accordance with customary traditions and as 

 an adjunct of the Native culture. 



Mr. DiNGELL. That was an excellent statement. Senator, the com- 

 mittee appreciates your time. 



Our next witness will be the gentleman from Wisconsin, Hon. David 

 R. Obey. 



