424 



Whether it is to tlie benefit of a poi^ulation is a hooker. But I will 

 say all populations, I do not care what they are, human population 

 or any other population, tends to produce more offspring than can be 

 absorbed by the environment or can subsist in the environment for 

 ever and ever. 



As you know, you get to the point where environmental resistance 

 is felt by the population, until the population reaches what is called 

 hypothetically the carrying capacity. 



The population will fluctuate around carrying capacity. This is a 

 fundamental. No one denies this. 



Trying to measure carrying capacity is tough, because it fluctuates, 

 too. 



If the population feels an environmental resistance, then the reduc- 

 tion in the population will be carried out in a number of ways. 



First, the animals may change their reproductive behavior. Quails 

 produce fewer eggs when the quails get to a more than a certain den- 

 sity per acre. 



In other ways too, there are enzymatic and hormone changes. The 

 social structure of a herd may change so as to eliminate more animals 

 from the breeding populations, but in some cases, the fur seal is an 

 example, the environmental resistance is expressed in terms of an 

 increased mortality, and sometimes this mortality takes a very un- 

 pleasant form. 



If some persons looked at this mortality, they would go to the 

 manager and say, "Is there something we could do," The manager 

 would answer, "Reduce the size of the population," And you are then 

 right up against the same thing again. 



When we reduce the size of the population we are taking out certain 

 ones. We are exerting a nonnatural check and balance on the popula- 

 tion. 



This may, it is admitted, have long-term genetic effects. We do not 

 see what the effects are. Indeed, there are many scientists that argue 

 vehemently about this. 



I think your question revolves entirely on a value judgment. 



Is it beneficial that that population be reduced ? 



Now, this does not precisely answer your question. Indeed, as I 

 said before, you are getting into a matter of ecological and population 

 dynamics theory. 



However, I will say one thing, and as a practical matter again, that 

 marine mammals represent a huge resource, a really huge resource. 

 We are going to need this resource. There is no avoiding it, because 

 humans are reaching carrying capacity. 



One way of protecting that resource is by management of the re- 

 source, and this does involve a large kill, for commercial, utilitarian 

 purposes, and also for scientific purposes. 



In some cases, all of us are astounded as to how many animals it is 

 necessary to kill before we can find out the physiology or behavior, or 

 the level of pesticide in that population. 



In international terms, the Ignited Nations Conference on Human 

 Environment in its Plenij:)otentiary Meeting next summer is going to 

 consider a global network for environmental monitoring. 



The people who are devising that conference in subsequent meetings 

 are thinking about utilizing marine mammals as indicators of ecosys- 

 tem health. 



