347 



the impact of their using the porpoise to capture tunas on the por- 

 poise population. 



Kecently, the American Tunaboat Association, along with other 

 organizations of the tuna industry, have worked out a program with 

 the National Marine Fisheries Service. Under this program we hope 

 to gather specific information on the success of the techniques devel- 

 oped by the fishermen to assist the porpoise in helping themselves to 

 escape from the captured tuna. 



Under this program. Government scientists will be aboard the ves- 

 sels for the purpose of observing the techniques used by the fishermen. 

 In addition, the fishermen will provide porpoise specimens to the fish- 

 ery service. Plans are also being developed to have special charter 

 trips, wherein a set number of days will be devoted exclusively to 

 porpoise research. Preliminary views seem to indicate that this pro- 

 gram will be substantially completed by the end of 1972. It is our 

 opinion that upon the completion of this program, the industry and 

 the Government will be in a better position to evaluate the apparent 

 problem associated with porpoise and tuna fishing. 



Thank you. 



Now at this time I would like to turn to Mr. Medina. He does not 

 have a prepared statement, but I believe that it will be comprehensive 

 enough and of extreme value to this committee. 



Mr. DiNGELL. We are very interested in receiving Mr. Medina's 

 statement and we look forward to hearing from him. 



Mr. Medina. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I am 

 Joe Medina, manager-owner and master of the fishing vessel Queen 

 Mary. 



My family, my grandfather and father, were pioneers that started 

 the tuna industry in San Diego and I have been actively engaged for 

 the past 25 years. 



I would like to go back. The fishermen and everybody have been 

 associated with the porpoise for the past 45 years. Up until the year 

 1958, the fish that was called bait fishing, we actually fished with poles, 

 used to go onto a school of porpoise and chum live bait and take the 

 tuna out with poles. 



In 1958, we converted to purse seine net fishing where we seine with 

 a large net. 



The problem we had then and it has been a problem we have had in 

 the last 13 years, we corral the jwrpoise within our nets and the prob- 

 lem was getting the porpoise out alive. 



When we first started, the only method we knew was the crew jump- 

 ing in at the risk of danger to their lives and helping the porpoise out. 



We had to do it to save the porpoise. 



Then 3 years later, we developed a new method what we call backing 

 down where we ac'tually roll in half our net, secure the front end and 

 actually back the vessel down and slide the whole net and actually pull 

 the net from midemeath the porpoise. This was a big saving on the 

 porpoise. 



The one problem that developed was a few porpoise would kill them- 

 selves getting tangled up in the net. 



Two years ago, me and my fir^t cousin, Harold Medina, a manager 

 and captain on the Kenv M developed a new netting. We tried it last 

 year on my cousin's boat and I am happy to say it has been a big 

 success. 



