428 



you need to track animals. You need to know whether they move on 

 a seasonal basis or on a day-to-day basis. 



Kadio trackings has been developed in California. I have used it in 

 Hawaii. We are hoping to use satellite tracking for the large whales, 

 for example, the humpback whale of the North Pacific. 



We do not know the numbers of those animals. We do not know 

 where they go. We cannot tell you if there is one or a three migration 

 route, and whether we are counting the animals three times or one 

 time. 



The ones we see in Hawaii, for example, we cannot tell you where 

 they go. 



Hence, these tracking needs are^great, and we are faced with a severe 

 budget constraint in having the chance to try such tracking. 



Mr. Potter. I have no more questions. 



In your statement you indicated that you were submitting a copy of 

 the report of the working groups from your conference. 



With the permission of the Chair I ask that it be inserted in the 

 record at this point. 



Mr. Lennon. Without objection, so ordered. 



(The information referred to follows :) 



International Conference on the Biology of Whales 



Skyland, Shenandoah National Park, Luray, Va., June 10-12, 1971 



Reports of the Working Groxips 



Report of the Working Group on Biology and Natural History 



the relation of natural history to whale management 



Many populations of large whales have been drastically reduced by commercial 

 whaling. It is a truism that effective management of wild species requires that 

 harvesting procedures be based on accurate knowledge of their natural history 

 and their populaition structure and dynamics. Substantial information on these 

 topics has been developed from data derived from analysis of commercially caught 

 whales. However, to produce a picture sufficiently complete to be the basis of 

 biologically sound harvesting, it will be necessary to fill in substantial gaps in our 

 knowledge. The purpose of this report is to identify some of the more conspicuous 

 of the gaps and to suggest methods that can be used to fill them. To achieve the 

 goals that are outlined will require the establishment of two innovations in 

 research methodWogy : 



1. A program of pelagic research captures from specially equipped whaling ves- 

 sels such as the Norwegian Peder Ruse, which is a combined catcher and factory 

 ship. 



2. The development of methods for the study of individual whales through 

 radiotelemetry. 



Identification of Whale Stocks 



Effective management requires that the distribution, size, and dynamics of the 

 population in question be known. It seems clear that the effective biological unit 

 in most whales is not the species, but. the individual .stocks or breeding population. 

 Therefore, the unequivocal identification of stocks of all commercial species (and 

 others as well ) must be given high priority. 



Methods. — (1) In addition to a continuation of the sampling methods used on 

 the commercial catch, it is important to obtain detailed information on the move- 

 ments of individually marked animals over long periods of time. To augment the 

 traditional methods of marking, such as Discovery tags, tracking by radio-telem- 

 etry must be undertaken to give continuous records of individuals. (2) The meth- 

 ods of population genetics must be brought to bear — serological studies employ- 

 ing electrophoretic and immunological techniques, enzymatic studies, amino acid 

 sequencing, and karyotype analyses. (,3) Identification of parasites, diatoms, and 

 other biological indicators. (4) Effective prosecution of these studies requires 



