COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Washington, Chairman JOHN O. PASTORE, Rhode Island A. S. MIKE MONRONEY, Oklahoma E. L. BARTLETT, Alaska VANCE HARTKE, Indiana NORRIS COTTON, New Hampshire GERALD B. GRINSTEIN, Chief Counsel EDWARD JARRETT, Chief Clerk JEREMIAH J. KENNEY, Jr., Assistant Chief Counsel WILLIAM C. FOSTER, Staff Counsel Text of interim convention on conservation of North Pacific fur seals and protocol amending the interim convention on conservation of North Text of Bureau of Commercial Fisheries regulations (title 50, U.S.C., Department of Agriculture, dated February 18, 1966.. Civil Service Commission, dated February 18, 1966-- Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, dated February 23, Department of the Interior, dated February 17, 1966. Department of Justice, dated February 21, 1966. Department of the Treasury, dated February 18, 1966- September 9, 1965, St. Paul Island, Alaska Baker, Ralph C., Assistant Director for Resources Development, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, U.S. Department of the Interior. Bowman, Willard L., executive director, State Commission for Human Gromoff, Elary, St. Paul Island, Alaska.. Stepetin, Gabriel, St. Paul Island, Alaska. February 18, 1966, Washington, D.C. McKernan, Donald L., Director, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, Merculieff, Iliodor, president, St. Paul Community Council, St. Paul Wade, Hon. Hugh J., secretary, State of Alaska, Juneau, Alaska, pre- senting statement of Hon. William A. Egan, Governor of the State III Letters received from- Baker, Ralph C., Assistant Director, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, Callson, Charles H., assistant to the president, National Audubon Society, 1130 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y., dated February 24, 1966. Egan, Hon. William A., Governor of the State of Alaska, dated April Gutermuth, C. R., vice president, Wildlife Management Institute, Wire Building, Washington, D.C., dated February 24, 1966 Merculieff, Hodor, president, St. Paul Island Community Council, St. Paul Island, Alaska, dated October 5, 1965 Ruddock, Andrew E., Director, Bureau of Retirement and Insurance, US Civil Service Commission, Washington, D.C., dated April 28, FUR SEALS-PRIBILOF ISLANDS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1965 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, The committee met on St. Paul Island, Pribilof Islands, State of Alaska, at 3 p.m., Hon. E. L. Bartlett presiding. Senator BARTLETT. The committee will be in order. It is not always done, but always it should be done, so today the committee meeting will start with a prayer offered by Father Lester D. Lestenkof. Father LESTENKOF. Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee. O Heavenly King, the conqueror, the spirit of truth, who are everywhere present and filleth all things, the treasury of blessings and the giver of life, come and abide in us and cleanse us from every impurity; and save, O gracious One, our souls. Amen. Senator BARTLETT. This is a meeting of a special subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee. The subcommittee is convened at St. Paul to consider S. 2102, which was introduced by me on June 8, 1965. It is a bill entitled as being one to protect and conserve the North Pacific fur seals, and to administer the Pribilof Islands for the conservation of fur seals and other wildlife, and for other purposes. The meeting will be specifically concerned with this bill, but by no means will be limited to it. (The bill and agency comments follow :) [S. 2102, 89th Cong., 1st sess.] A BILL To protect and conserve the North Pacific fur seals, and to administer the Pribilof Islands for the conservation of fur seals and other wildlife, and for other purposes Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may be cited as the "Fur Seal Act of 1965". TITLE I-CONSERVATION AND PROTECTION OF THE NORTH PACIFIC FUR SEALS SEC. 101. It is unlawful, except as provided in this Act or by regulation of the Secretary of the Interior, for any person or vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to engage in the taking of fur seals in the North Pacific Ocean or on lands or waters under the jurisdiction of the United States, or to use any port or harbor or other place under the jurisdiction of the United States for any purpose connected in any way with such taking, or for any person to transport, import, offer for sale, or possess at any port or place or on any vessel, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, fur seals or the parts thereof, including, but not limited to, raw, dressed, or dyed fur seal skins, taken contrary to the provisions of this Act or the Convention, or for any person subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to refuse to permit, except within the territorial waters of the United States, a duly authorized official of Canada, Japan, or the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to board and search any vessel which is outfitted for the harvesting of living marine resources and which is subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to determine whether such vessel is engaged in sealing contrary to the provisions of said Convention. SEC. 102. (a) Indians, Aleuts, and Eskimos who dwell on the coasts of the North Pacific Ocean and who take fur seals without the use of firearms in boats not transported by or used in connection with other vessels, and which are propelled entirely by oars, paddles, or sails, and manned by not more than five persons in the way said Indians, Aleuts, and Eskimos have historically practiced, are permitted to take such seals and to dispose of their skins in any manner after the skins have been officially marked and certified by a person authorized by the Secretary of the Interior. (b) The authority contained in this section shall not apply to Indians, Aleuts, and Eskimos who are employed by persons engaged in the taking of fur seals. SEC. 103. The Secretary of the Interior shall (1) conduct such scientific research and investigations on the fur seal resources of the North Pacific Ocean as he deems necessary to carry out the obligations of the United States under the convention, and (2) permit, subject to such terms and conditions as he deems desirable, the taking, transportation, importation, exportation, or possession of fur seals or their parts for educational, scientific, or exhibition purposes. SEC. 104. (a) The Secretary shall (1) take and cure fur sealskins on the Pribilof Islands and on lands subject to the jurisdiction of the United States whenever he deems such taking and curing is necessary to carry out the provisions of the convention or to manage the fur seal herd, (2) employ natives of the Pribilof Islands and, when necessary, other persons for taking and curing of fur sealskins pursuant to this section, and compensate them at rates to be determined by the Secretary, (3) deliver to authorized agents of the parties such fur sealskins as the parties are entitled under the convention, (4) utilize such quantities of fur sealskins taken pursuant to this section or forfeited to, or seized by, the United States as the Secretary deems desirable for product development and market promotion, (5) provide for the disposal or destruction of any fur sealskins that are damaged or that are determined by the Secretary to have no value or use as luxury furs, (6) provide for the processing of such quantities of fur sealskins as he deems desirable, (7) provide from time to time for the sale, pursuant to such terms and conditions as the Secretary deems desirable, of fur sealskins and products of fur seals not otherwise used or disposed of pursuant to this Act, and (8) deposit into the Treasury the proceeds from such sales, except that the Secretary shall pay annually to the Commission the proceeds from the sales of any fur sealskins that are taken contrary to the provisions of this title and the regulations issued thereunder or that are forfeited to the United States. (b) The Secretary is authorized to enter into agreements with any public or private agency or person for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this title, other than for the purpose of taking fur seals. SEC. 105. (a) Any person authorized to enforce the provisions of this Act who has reasonable cause to believe that any vessel outfitted for the harvesting of living marine resources and subject to the jurisdiction of any of the parties to the convention is violating the provisions of article III of the convention may, except within the territorial waters of another nation, board and search such vessel. Such person shall carry a special certificate of identification issued by the Secretary of State which shall be in English, Japanese, and Russian and which shall be exhibited to the master of the vessel upon request. (b) If, after boarding and searching such vessel, such person continues to have reasonable cause to believe that such vessel, or any person on board, is violating said article, he may seize such vessel or arrest such person, or both. The Secretary of State shall, as soon as practicable, notify the party having jurisdiction over the vessel or person of such seizure or arrest and shall deliver the seized vessel or arrested person, or both, as promptly as practicable to the authorized officials of said party: Provided, That whenever said party cannot immediately accept such delivery, the Secretary of State may, upon request of said party, keep the vessel or person under surveillance within the United States. Fur seals or parts thereof discovered on seized vessels shall be subject |