only naturally occurring sea otter population in the Western Hemisphere south of Alaska. Only 33 years after its exciting rediscovery, the rare southern sea otter, opening its polluted shellfish with pop bottle, rock, or beer can for tool, is faced with new threats to its survival. In the southern portion of their range, otters are occasionally shot and, with increasing small craft traffic, more are being fatally injured in boating accidents.

The City of Monterey, Calif., expects to quadruple its accommodations for boats, thanks to $300,000 in Federal assistance, thus greatly increasing the threat of boating deaths. From my analysis of the data concerning 111 recovered carcasses, fatal boating accident injuries appear to be the greatest single cause of death.

Female sea otters continue to bear pups within sight of oil tankers whose frequency of passage and potential for spills increase yearly. Completion of the controversial Alaskan pipeline will compound this threat.

One of the sea otters killed by the three commercial abalone divers, who were sentenced last year, contained in its fat 33 p.p.m. total DDT residues. Although they were nearly exterminated for their furs, not their meat, analytical data from many otters reveal that their tissues greatly exceed the 7 p.p.m. considered unfit for human consumption. The fate of the California and Florida brown pelicans is well known. Large numbers of aborted California sea lions were discovered in May 1970.1 Karl Kenyon of the Fish and Wildlife Service reported 1,200 p.p.m. DDT in one sea lion pup on San Miguel Island.2 Recent studies have indicated that DDT can cause reproductive damage in newborn mammals.3

Recent public health awareness of chlorinated hydracarbons, such as DDT, and heavy metals, such as cadmium and mercury, appearing in many species of marine life has resulted in great economic losses to some affected commercial fisheries.

For example, the jack mackerel fishery in southern California was condemned in 1969 because of high DDT levels and 89 percent of the swordfish were condemned this year because of high mercury levels, as well as approximately 2 percent of the tuna.

At the present time, Dr. John Martin and George Knauer at Hopkins Marine Station, Pacific Grove, Calif., are determining heavy metal levels in plankton, surface and midwater fishes, cephalopods and marine mammals inhabiting the central and southern California current regions.

Sea otter livers and kidneys from recovered carcasses have been tested for their cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, and zinc content. All these metals can be toxic to mammals, and three of them, cadmium, lead and chromium-especially chromium with a valence of six-are well known cumulative poisons.

Of the three elements, cadmium is by far the most potentially dangerous, as it is responsible for several known harmful conditions in mammals. These include decalcification of human bones, degenera

1 Odell, D. 1970. Premature pupping in the California sea lion, Proc. Seventh Ann. Conf. Biol. Sonar and Div. Mamm., Menlo Park, Calif., Stanford Research Institute, pp. 185-190.

Kenyon, K. W. 1970. Personal communication to James A. Mattison, Jr., M.D., 505 East Romie Lane, Salinas, Calif. 93901.

Heinrich, W. L., et al. 1971. DDT administered to neonatal rats induces persistent estrus syndrom. Science, vol. 173. Aug.

tion of the testes, and hypertension. Hypertension can be induced in rats when renal molar cadmium to zinc ratios exceed 0.35. Two normal otters tested had ratios close to this value, 0.32 and 0.35, which suggests that this condition may be common in the otter herd.1 These extremely high cadmium concentrations, 4.2 to 16.1 p.p.m. in their livers and 12.0 to 43.3 p.p.m. in their kidneys, have prompted us to begin a search for its source.

In testing for mercury, six adult or near-adult sea otters were analyzed for comparison with California sea lions. Although brain and kidney levels were similar, sea lion liver values were an order of magnitude higher than those found in the otters (42 versus 4 p.p.m.). The range in sea otters was 0.78 to 7.35 p.p.m. Whether this discrepancy is a reflection of the otters' diet-primarily mollusks, which are not as high in the food chain as the fish diet of sea lions—or a basic physiological difference, remains to be seen.

The accumulation of toxic levels of pesticides and other environmental poisons may eventually cause such a reduction in the number of sea otters as to make the efforts of Alaska's sea otter harvesting program and attempts in California to set limits on their population seem ludicrous.

Testifying in Sacramento against control of the southern sea otter population on April 6, 1970, Dr. Robert T. Orr, associate director of the California Academy of Sciences, and curator of its departments of ornithology and mammalogy, said, in part: "What will (this California bill) do? It proposes to curb sea otters which are barely past the danger point. Why? So that a small group of market hunters who are commercializing on something that belongs to all of us can continue their exploitation to produce a gourmet item.'

Attempts of some commercial and sportsmen's groups to encourage legislation that would "manage" the sea otter so as to avoid "resource conflicts" prompted Dr. John H. Phillips, director of Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, to testify that this California Senate bill presents a simplistic answer to the abalone decline by using the otter as a scapegoat. He further testified that legislation is needed to increase chances for survival of otters, as well as our declining abalone industry.

Karl Kenyon has reported more than 40 food species from the stomachs of Amchitkan sea otters, and I have observed southern sea otters eat more than 25 different species. The red and black abalone are but two of these. Abalones and spiny lobsters are disappearing in southern California and among the Channel Islands, where no sea otters exist. The excessive human take appears to be causing the decline in these fisheries.

If the sea otter can survive an environment which is becoming increasingly polluted, it may eventually extend its range. Should it reoccupy its former haunts in southern California, it would improve our

1 Martin, J. H. and G. A. Knauer, Cd, Cr, Cu, and Zn concentrations in the southern sea otter. Manuscript in preparation.

2 Martin, J. H., G. A. Knauer, and B. H. Robison. Mercury in the pelagic food web. Manuscript in preparation.

3 Vandevere, J. E. Feeding behavior of the southern sea otter, Proc. Sixth Ann. Conf. on Biol. Sonar and Diving Mammals, Menlo Park, Calif., Stanford Research Institute. p. 87-94. 1969.

4 Kenyon, K. W., 1969. The sea otter in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. North American Fauna. Number 68. Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402. p. 117.

marine resources by reducing sea urchin populations, thereby enhancing kelp growth, which, in turn, supports rock fish nurseries.

Because repeated attempts will be made to change State laws to permit reductions in our small precarious marine mammal populations, which are subject to increasing jeopardy from environmental degradation, survival of the southern sea otters would be enhanced by a strong bill to protect marine mammals.

H.R. 10420 and H.R. 6558 are worthy attempts to preserve the marine mammals associated with the shores of the United States. These ani. mals, as I have indicated, are in jeopardy not only due to their exploita tion but due to pollutants that are causing a general deterioration of our marine environment. Strong legislation is essential to the survival of these animals.

Mr. VANDEVERE. I would like to show a 2-minute film to introduce you to the southern sea otter of California.

Mr. DINGELL. Very good.

(Showing of film.)

Mr. VANDEVERE. The only place where sea otters occur naturally in the continental United States is a 160-mile stretch of California's coast. They were thought to be extinct like many marine mammal species. Mature females give birth to a single pup no more often than once every 2 years.

Marine mammals do not bear more than one young at a time. Life is just too harsh.

My observations have shown the southern sea otters to feed primarily on molluscs, arthropods, and echinoderms.

Mothers take care of their pups for almost a year. They show great concern and interest for each other when faced with danger-the danger of man—and will alert each other and dive to get out of man's

way.

On the 26th of this month, Jacques-Yves Consteau will begin his new television series with an hour-long documentary on the sea otter, the first quarter will be on the Alaskan sea otter.

He is using some of my footage and I appear in the film as well. I was his scientific adviser for this documentary.

In 1959, acting Governor Glenn Anderson, who is a member of this subcommittee and the author of bill H.R. 10420, signed into law a bill which extended the reserve of the sea otter from the Carmel River to the city of Cambria.

Now, the California Department of Fish and Game and some sport and commercial abalone interests are wrongly contending that the reserve created by his signature was intended to confine the sea otters to the area between the Carmel River and the town of Cambria.

They charge that the sea otters have ecsaped from this zone of protection and are occupying areas north and south of their 1959 expanded refuge.

It is my understanding that something has happened to the Pribilof fur seal population this season which the wildlife managers are unable to account for; there has been a great drop in the Pribilof fur seal population.

I am also concerned as to the fate of the porpoises which fall victim off Chile to the tuna fishermen. They use these porpoises to discover the schools of tuna. The fisherman accidentally kill the porpoises

along with the tuna, especially the female and baby porpoises, the babies cannot make it over the net to escape and their mothers will not leave their babies. With a high rate of porpoise deaths, we are in danger of losing this resource and our fishermen are in danger of losing their one good method of finding the tuna.

Wildlife managers are employed by our Fish and Wildlife Service and by State departments of game and fish. These men are influenced or their superiors are influenced by the commercial and sports interests and often their research is skewed. Our California Department of Fish and Game is supported entirely by sport and commercial license

revenues.

No conservation money, no general funds are given to them at all, so the wildlife managers are unfortunately politically motivated or influenced because of the nature of their support.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Vandevere, the committee is very grateful to you for your very helpful statement.

The gentleman from California, Mr. Anderson.

Mr. ANDERSON. Mr. Chairman, I would like to commend Mr. Vandevere for his remarks and particularly in reminding me that I did sign the sea otter bill into law. Thanks again for reminding me. Although it is now ancient history, it was a needed law.

(A letter was received by the committee from Mr. Vandevere, following his appearance. The text of his letter follows:)

Hon. JOHN D. DINGELL,
House Office Building,
Washington, D.C.

HOPKINS MARINE STATION, Pacific Grove, Calif., September 24, 1971.

MY DEAR MR. DINGELL: Chief Clerk, Robert J. McElroy has been sent the corrected copy of my testimony before your Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation on September 9, 1971. To prevent repetition, I have recommended that he delete more than 130 lines of my additional comments for this information appears in my prepared testimony.

I would like to apply for insertion of the following approximately 14 supplemental lines, on page 122, after line 18:

...

"H.R. 10420 which provides that the fate of all marine mammals shall be decided by three commissioners 'Knowledgeable in . . . resource management' is therefore disturbing as is the fact that they are charged with managing all marine mammals. ‘. . . on an optimum sustained yield basis.' The commissioners should be knowledgeable in marine ecology and marine mammalogy, not resource exploitation.

"Also, the provision in H.R. 10420 which permits '. . . any marine mammal (to be captured) for public display or educational purposes. . .' should be qualified to prohibit their display in all zoos and shows other than the major facilities of the world which employ marine mammal veterinarians and have proper accommodations for these unfortunate marine mammals."

I was impressed by your opening statement and by your interest in the testimony of the scientists whom you had the wisdom to invite before your subcommittee. I understand that you have requested information on the status of the sea otter. I have forwarded such data to you through the Humane Society.

I enclose a copy of a letter I have addressed to the Hon. Glenn Anderson in which I recommend complete protection for all marine mammals until the biological effects of increasing levels of cumulative poisons can be determined.

Yours very truly,

Enclosure.

JUDSON E. VANDEVERE.

HOPKINS MARINE STATION, Pacific Grove, Calif., September 24, 1971.

Hon. GLENN M. ANDERSON,
House Office Building,
Washington, D.C.

DEAR MR. ANDERSON: Many thanks for your letter of 16 September. As you remarked, I commended acting Governor Glenn Anderson for signing into law in 1959 a bill which quadrupled in size, the reserve of the southern sea otter. Mention of this expansion appears on page 526 of the October 1971 issue of National Geographic.

It is my understanding that something has happened to the Pribilof fur seal population this season which the wildlife managers are unable to account for, and there has been a great drop in the Pribilof fur seal population.

Wildlife managers are employed by our Fish and Wildlife Service and by State departments of game and fish. These men are influenced or their superiors are influenced by the commercial and sports interests and often their research is skewed. Our California department of fish and game is supported entirely by sport and commercial license revenues. No conservation money, no general funds are given to them at all, so the wildlife managers are unfortunately politically motivated or influenced because of the nature of their support.

H.R. 10420 which provides that the fate of all marine mammals shall be decided by three commissioners "Knowledgeable in . . . resource management" is therefore disturbing as is the fact that they are charged with managing all marine mammals “. . . on an optimum sustained yield basis." The commissioners should be knowledgeable in marine ecology and marine mammalogy, not resource exploitation.

Also, the provision in H.R. 10420 which permits

66

any marine mammal (to be captured) for public display or educational purposes. . ." should be qualified to prohibit their display in all zoos and shows other than the major facilities of the world which employ marine mammal veterinarians and have proper accommodations for these unfortunate marine mammals.

The world's populations of marine mammals are in jeopardy from: over exploitation; accidental man-caused traumatic death; legal and illegal cropping to prevent resource conflicts; larger and more numerous oil spills; the Cannikin blast on Amchitka; and the increasing levels of cumulative polychlorinated biphenyls, heavy metals, and chlorinated hydrocarbons in their tissues.

Because of these problems and our fear that devastating reproductive failure, such as some bird species are experiencing, may next be recognized in marine mammal populations, legislation to promote the management of marine mammals". on an optimum sustained yield basis ." is in error.

Today's hard pressed remnants of our once healthy marine mammal populations should be given complete protection until the biological effects of increasing levels of cumulative poisons can be determined.

Yours very truly,

JUDSON E. VANDEVERE.

(The following column on the matters raised by Mr. Vandevere was received after the close of those hearings. For the information of those concerned, the material follows:)

OUR ENVIRONMENT THE SEA LIONS' WARNING

(By Stewart Udall and Jeff Stansbury)

On California's rugged channel islands, we Americans may be entering the saddest phase of our long love-hate affair with pesticides. Scientists have discovered a stunningly high correlation between levels of DDT in the female sea lions that inhabit the islands and the alarming rate at which they are now aborting their pups.

This discovery is so recent that the backup studies will not be published for several weeks. But if the link between DDT and abortions is sustained, it will be the first time it has ever been documented in a wild population of mammals— the biological order to which man himself belongs.