440 



STATEMENT OF JOHN BURNS, ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH 

 AND GAME; ACCOMPANIED BY DAVID JACKMAN, ESQ., ASSIST- 

 ANT ATTORNEY GENERAL, STATE OF ALASKA 



Mr. Burns. Mr. Chairman, members of the subcommittee, thank 

 you very much for the opportunity to appear before you. 



We, the State of Alaska, did submit a statement which we would 

 ask to be entered into the record. 



Mr. DiNGELL. Without objection that will be done at this point in 

 the record and the Chair will recognize you for such additional state- 

 ment as you dhoose to give. 



(The statement follows :) 



State of Alaska, 

 Office of the Governoe, 

 Juneau, September 10, 1911. 

 Hon. John Dingeix, 



Chairmam,, House Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation, 

 House of RepresentatiAyes, 

 Washington, D.C. 



Dear Mb. Dingbxl : I am submitting the attached statement of the State of 

 Alaska's position on the various marine mammal protection bills now under 

 consideration by your subcommittee. No state has a larger stake in the wise 

 conservation of the many species of marine mammals for the benefit of future 

 generations of Americans. In addition, the welfare of thousands of Alaskans is 

 directly affected. 



As this statement oiitlines, the State of Alaska opposes any hill which would 

 depart from sound resource management principles, of which the present inter- 

 national fur seal agreement is an excellent example, in favor of a general and 

 indiscriminate ban on the taking of marine mammals which would apply to en- 

 dangered species as well as those which clearly are not. 



(This statement also explains our continued opposition to any extension of 

 Federal jurisdiction over resident species of marine mammals. 

 ISincerely, 



William A. Egan, 



Governor. 



Enclosure. 



Statement of the State of Alaska on the Proposed "Marine Mammal 

 IProtection Aot of 1971" (H.R. 10420) 



introduction 



During 1{>71, legislation has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representa- 

 tives, dealing with the protection and management of marine mammals. Similar 

 legislation has also been introduced in the U.S. Senate. Such bills include H.R. 

 6554 and S. 1315 cited as the "Ocean Mammal Protection Act of 1971," H.R. 7556, 

 also cited as the "Ocean Mammal Protection Act of 1971," H.R. 10420, cited as the 

 "Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1971." 



The intent of this legislation is to extend federal protection (H.R. 6554, 7556, 

 and S. 1315) or assert federal management jurisdiction over all marine mammals 

 (H.R. 10420). 



Most of this legislation has received consiedrable opposition from organizations 

 and agencies concerned with responsible marine mammal management programs. 

 An impressive number of national conservation organizations have expressed 

 opposition to H.R. 6554 and S. 1315, as did the Honorable Ted Stevens, Senator 

 from Alaska (see Congressional Record. Vol. 117, No. 1(X), June 29, 1971) and the 

 Alaska 'State Legislature (see Appendix A)i. When compared with .scientific 

 marine mammal management, most of this legislation can best be described as an 

 unrealistic approach to this problem in response to the well meaning but emo- 

 tional pleas of some concerned U.S. citizens. 



It is generally thought that H.R. 10420 is more realistic than other proposed 

 legislation in its policy and approach. However, it still contains several pro- 

 visions which could be detrimental to the State of Alaska. A wide variety of 



