526 



The American Conunissioner, a State Department appointee, to the Inter- 

 national Whaling Commission also spoke at the subcommittee hearing. He was 

 recently electe<l chairman of the Whaling Commission and little imagination is 

 re(iuired to divine his position on a 10 year moratorium on all whaling. He vigor- 

 ously opposed it. 



His opposition to a moratorium, particularly in his oral testimony, centered 

 on three main points. The Japanese and Soviet Whalers agreed that next year 

 they will : First, implement an international observer plan ; Two, abolish the 

 blue whale unit and adopt species quotas; Three; reduce the catch below the 

 sustainable yield in order that the stocks of harvested species may increase in 

 number. Those are promises of highly desireable objectives and if they are kept 

 they could obviate the need for a moratorium. But the "if" Ls there and we must 

 consider the possibility that the promises are hollo^v. What does the past imply 

 for the future of those promises? 



The Russians have for the past fifteen years agreed in principle to the need 

 for international observers on whaling ships. But they have always found excuses 

 at the last minute for not implementing accepted plans. There is much evidence 

 that they have often engaged in illegal whaling and none at all that they intend 

 to change their ways next year. Moreover, the plan that they have promised 

 to implement proposes the exchange of Japanese and Soviet inspectors. Japanese 

 Inspectors are as noted for their lack of efladency as their government Ls noted for 

 its lack of concern for marine high seas resources. If those two nations ever do 

 exchange inspectors the result will be a meaningless farce and the whales will 

 suffer as much as in the past. 



Since the first attempt to regulate whaling all whalers have been opposed to 

 species quotas, and the Japanese and Soviets aire no exception. The former have 

 been particularly opposed to species quotas but they just might accept them 

 now that there are so few species left to hunt. Even if they do now accept species 

 quotas the results will be of no value unless rigid inspection is enforced by inter- 

 now that there are so few species left to hunt Even if they do now accept species 



The International Whaling Commission has been meeting since 1949 and during 

 all the intervening years scientists have complained that the catch was for 

 above the sustainable yield. During those same years the whalers kept saying 

 that next year they will object the catchdownward at or below the sustainable 

 yield. Only once did they ever do so, in 1969, after the stocks of all whales had 

 been decimated. But now once again they have promised that next year they 

 will reduce the catch below the sustainable yield that will allow the whale 

 populations to increase. The promised reduction, however, is so small that even 

 if it is made it will take from 180 to 200 years for the stocks of whales to reach 

 a level of optimism sustainable yield. It is sad indeed that an American oflScial 

 will accept such empty promises. For the whales of the world it is tragic. 



Mr. Garrett. I think I had better work my testimony over. I pro- 

 crastinated until 4 o'clock yesterday before starting on it, and it looks 

 like I should work it over, proof it, and bring it back later, and also 

 bring supplementary papers in at that time. 



Mr. Potter. I am not unfamiliar at all with proscrastination. 



Mr. DiNGELL. The Chair will observe that the record will be open 

 until next week. We will not have the hearings completed by that time, 

 so you do have time, not of our own making. 



Mr. Potter. Since we are winding up the very long extensive hear- 

 ings, I would say there is a number of documents that may be appro- 

 priate for the record that I would like permission to insert them at 

 the close of these hearings. 



The Chair observes this completes the list of witnesses for H.R. 

 6558 and H.E.. 1400. The Chair observes the record will remain open 

 as indicated, to afford interested persons to submit statements for the 

 record, to include such additional matters as has been granted. 



