363 



We strongly favor H.R. 10420. It is an enlightened proposal the 

 provisions of which spring from an application of commonsense rather 

 than emotion. Like many other legislative proposals, however, the 

 bill could stand improvement. We understand that the National 

 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the U.S. Department of 

 Commerce has submitted proposals for amendment of H.R. 10420 to 

 make it more workable. As we have had no opportunity to review 

 those proposals we can make no comment on them here. 



However, we have some positive proposals of our own to submit 

 for improvement of that bill. Our Washington counsel, James R. 

 Sharp, has prepared a memorandum of suggested changes in H.R. 

 10420 for consideration of the committee and its staff. The major 

 change we are proposing is that a section be added requiring that 

 the Department of State negotiate a permanent extension of the North- 

 ern Pacific Seal Convention which expires in 1976. We also urge 

 that the committee incorporate other changes to assure that the power 

 of the Secretary to set limits on the taking of ocean mammals shall, 

 under no circumstances, be exercised in derogation of the rights of 

 other nations as they may be established in the present and any ex- 

 tended or new convention relating to the management of fur seal or 

 other sea mammals. 



Your hearing schedule is crowded so I will take no more of your 

 time. The matter before you must be decided shortly and after calm 

 and deliberate consideration. We will leave no stone unturned to aid 

 you in obtaining the passage of legislation designed to conserve and 

 increase the available supply of wild ocean mammals in order, as pro- 

 vided by H.R. 10420, that the supply "can maintain that equilibrium 

 at which they may be managed on an optimum sustained yield basis." 

 It is that type of legislation which we trust will be reported out by the 

 Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee of the House upon the 

 recommendation of this subcommittee. 



In order that the position of the U.S.S.R. organization which han- 

 dles its seal exports may be of record in these hearings, I request that 

 Mr. Eugene Dreisin be allowed a few minutes for that purpose. 



Mr. DiXGELL. Mr. Dreisin, the committee will be happy to hear 

 from you. 



Mr. Dreisin. I am Eugene Dreisin, president of British-American 

 Brokers, Inc., former president of the American Fur Merchants Asso- 

 ciation, and American delegate to the International Fur Trade Fed- 

 eration in London. 



Technical, humanitarian and economic questions have been covered 

 at some length by other witnesses. I will address myself to the inter- 

 national aspects of the j^roblem being studied by the committee as it 

 related to Northern Pacific fur seals. 



Fur seal harvests in the North Pacific involve only four nations. 

 The two governments which carry the main responsibility are the 

 United States and the So^■iet Union. 



On Monday of this week the committee heard witnesses from three 

 departments and one agency of our own Government. These spokes- 

 men were unanimous in opjiosing the Pryor Ocean Mammal Protec- 

 tion Act type of bill and unanimous in supporting H.R. 10420 and a 

 continuation and extension of the Northern Pacific Seal Convention. 



Statements recently appeared in a Baltimore, Md., newspaper imply- 

 ing that the Soviet Union is in some way disillusioned with the North- 



