455 



I have before me a resume of the harvest of walruses in Alaska 

 since 1960. This includes the retrieved harvest, the animals actually- 

 obtained by the hunters and the total kill. 



Mr. Potter. And these are figures ? 



Mr. Burns. These are figures. 



Mr. Potter. I would ask instead of reading them into the record 

 that perhaps we might ask you to summarize them for the committee. 



Mr. Burns. Well, in summary the average annual harvest is approxi- 

 mately 1,700 animals. The average annual kill, including the ups and 

 downs of successful years and unsuccessful years, the average annual 

 kill is approximately twice that, indicating a loss of about 1 for 1. 



Incidentally, it was not mentioned that the loss for whaling in 

 bowheads is as much as 5 to 1. 



Perhaps the methods which the people are forced to use because of 

 the International A^Tialing Commission agreements, they can take 

 whales in the traditional manner and that traditional manner provides, 

 in fact, ineffective results in the high loss that they have. 



That is neither here nor there. In 1962 we began most intensively 

 our first real efforts at evaluating the status of the walrus herds, the 

 population size. 



On a Federal level, the U.S. official Wildlife Service undertook a 

 very extensive aerial survey, through cooperative arrangements, agree- 

 ment and work and incidentally which had been continuing through- 

 out the years with no conflicts at all. As a matter of fact, the State 

 of Alaska sponsored the most recent biological cruise into the Bering 

 Sea involving 12 scientists from several institutions. 



At any rate, the results of the aerial survey indicated a population 

 rangmg from 73,000 animals to 113,000 animals, establishing the high 

 and the low ends of the spectrum with regard to abundance. 



Our attempts were statistical, similar to those used by any life in- 

 surance company for calculation of life exi>ectancy, population size, 

 and projected population size and is well accepted, under well recog- 

 nized criteria. 



Our sampling procedure involved the acquisition of over 90 percent 

 of material from over 90 percent of the walruses taken in 1962. 



The results of our population estimate indicated a herd of approxi- 

 mately 93,000 animals. 



I point this out only to show how this falls within the high and 

 the low points of the aerial surveys. 



Similar attempts were undertaken in 1968, also with the Fish and 

 Wildlife Ser\dce doing the aerial sur\^eys; the Department of Fish 

 and Game in Alaska handling the statistical approach to population 

 enumeration. 



The final report from the Fish and Wildlife Service is yet to be 

 published. 



Our indications are a herd numbering between 100,000 and 125,000 

 animals. 



Every indication — in a more general and, if you will — intuitive 

 manner of looking at them over the years, and I have spent 11 years 

 during the spring migration period looking at walruses, we have seen 

 a very noticeable increase and they are also noticeably more available 

 to our Alaskan hunters. 



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