I think any permits that are handed out, that is a public matter. You have a permit. You know where it went to, who is to file the report and for what reason that permit was granted, entirely open. This matter has not been handled in this way in the past. It has been handled as a Bureau matter, or a Fish and Game matter. Mr. POTTER. On page 6 you indicate that the members of the Marine Mammal Commission should serve limited terms. Are you suggesting that they should be limited in terms of years, and if so, are you suggesting also that it might be desirable to prevent them from succeeding themselves? Dr. RAY. I think both are desirable. Mr. POTTER. How many years is it necessary? What is the optimum yield? Dr. RAY. For those of us who have served on committees in the National Academy or the National Science Foundation, I would like to ask Dr. Norris to comment, but 3 to 5 years seems to be my idea. Dr. NORRIS. I agree with that idea. Mr. POTTER. And you do endorse the idea of new blood coming in? Dr. RAY. Absolutely essential. I think this is important, too, Mr. Potter, for the scientific advisory committee. I have an inherent fear of people who build empires. I have been accused of it enough times myself. Mr. POTTER. Unjustly, I am sure. Dr. RAY. Probably not. Mr. POTTER. We will probably ask the same question of Mr. Burns, but you indicated that Eskimos are the principal predators concerned with these animals and that the level of the Native hunt bears careful scrutiny should it become excessive and restrictive regulations prove necessary. What are you really suggesting here? Dr. RAY. I have been working in one island of the Bering Sea for about 12 or 13 years, and mainly concerned with the walrus. I think without knowing an awful lot about it now, I would concern myself with such a case as the bowhead whale. The bowhead whale is valued by Eskimos, but we really do not know how many there are, and the hunt is, to my knowledge, and please clarify this with the gentleman from Álaska, to my knowledge the hunt is not restricted. Now, we know pretty well how many walrus there are. We may not approve of headhunting. I certainly do not, but it goes on under certain circumstances. I do not approve very much of taking baby walruses and putting them into zoos, although I did it myself for a number of years. On the other hand, we know pretty much about the biology of the walrus. We can predict how many we can take without hurting the herd too much. But bowhead whales-I do not see that we know this, if there are. indeed, 400 in Alaska. What do we think of the annual reproduction? Mr. SCHEVILL. One calf every 3 years. Dr. RAY. You say one calf for every 3 years, and you may have 50 reproducing cows out of that herd. Suppose one out of every three from 50, and I really ball park it— this is another irresponsible guess, but let us suppose this is true-you get 15 a year that are produced, something like that. I do not know what the Alaska take is, but it is not far away from that, and it has exceeded that, and you can be depleting the herd by Native rights. I would not want to abrogate native rights, but I would want to look into this. Dr. NORRIS. The take has been very inefficient. A considerable number of animals are killed before a single one is brought ashore. You should investigate that, too, and it may well exceed the reasonable take for that species. Dr. RAY. I have been impressed with the fact that if you get a permit, permit for four seals, this means to many people that they may take four home. But how many have you eliminated from the natural system? Suppose it took 10 captures to get four back home? This is often the case. The Eskimos have an interesting way of looking at this, which is anthropologically interesting at least. If they shoot a walrus, and it goes to the bottom of the sea, they think it is still part of the sea. We know it is true, but it is not a living part of the sea any more, and you better define take very carefully. If he loses them all, that is too bad. Mr. POTTER. I would assume that the bill as presently drafted, the word take includes capture, so if you get a permit to take four walruses, you can harass four walruses, and if you lose all four of them, that is it Charlie, you go back and ask for another permit and you better explain why. Dr. RAY. The word harvest is not viewed in such a manner by other people. Mr. POTTER. I would like to ask Dr. Norris two questions. One, we have gotten some letters from operators of oceanaria to the effect that oceanaria serve a valuable social function in that they permit the carrying out of significant research. Is it your feeling that the kind of research that is able to be done in connection with oceanaria has much value. Dr. NORRIS. Yes, I think some of the every original, and some of the best work has come out of oceanaria. I would say that many of them are not dedicated to this. It is usually the people on the staff who want to do this, and sometimes do it in spite of the oceanarians management. This is not always the case. They are useful in this respect. Mr. POTTER. My last question has to do with an area I know you are very much involved in the use of remote sensing devices, telemetry, and so forth in connection with what is happening to populations of cetacea. What is the present status of this, and what do you think the longrange outlook is? Dr. NORRIS. Well, the need here relates to questions like we have been asking about the numbers of porpoises. We do not know where the porpoises go, and in order to make a population estimate, even if you count the animals, you do not know whether you are looking at the same or variable populations, and so you need to track animals. You need to know whether they move on a seasonal basis or on a day-to-day basis. Radio tracking has been developed in California. I have used it in Hawaii. We are hoping to use satellite tracking for the large whales, for example, the humpback whale of the North Pacific. We do not know the numbers of those animals. We do not know where they go. We cannot tell you if there is one or a three migration route, and whether we are counting the animals three times or one time. The ones we see in Hawaii, for example, we cannot tell you where they go. Hence, these tracking needs are great, and we are faced with a severe budget constraint in having the chance to try such tracking. Mr. POTTER. I have no more questions. In your statement you indicated that you were submitting a copy of the report of the working groups from your conference. With the permission of the Chair I ask that it be inserted in the record at this point. Mr. LENNON. Without objection, so ordered. (The information referred to follows:) INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE BIOLOGY OF WHALES Skyland, Shenandoah National Park, Luray, Va., June 10-12, 1971 Report of the Working Group on Biology and Natural History THE RELATION OF NATURAL HISTORY TO WHALE MANAGEMENT Many populations of large whales have been drastically reduced by commercial whaling. It is a truism that effective management of wild species requires that harvesting procedures be based on accurate knowledge of their natural history and their population structure and dynamics. Substantial information on these topics has been developed from data derived from analysis of commercially caught whales. However, to produce a picture sufficiently complete to be the basis of biologically sound harvesting, it will be necessary to fill in substantial gaps in our knowledge. The purpose of this report is to identify some of the more conspicuous of the gaps and to suggest methods that can be used to fill them. To achieve the goals that are outlined will require the establishment of two innovations in research methodology: 1. A program of pelagic research captures from specially equipped whaling vessels such as the Norwegian Peder Huse, which is a combined catcher and factory ship. 2. The development of methods for the study of individual whales through radiotelemetry. Identification of Whale Stocks Effective management requires that the distribution, size, and dynamics of the population in question be known. It seems clear that the effective biological unit in most whales is not the species, but the individual stocks or breeding population. Therefore, the unequivocal identification of stocks of all commercial species (and others as well) must be given high priority. Methods. (1) In addition to a continuation of the sampling methods used on the commercial catch, it is important to obtain detailed information on the movements of individually marked animals over long periods of time. To augment the traditional methods of marking, such as Discovery tags, tracking by radio-telemetry must be undertaken to give continuous records of individuals. (2) The methods of population genetics must be brought to bear-serological studies employing electrophoretic and immunological techniques, enzymatic studies, amino acid sequencing, and karyotype analyses. (3) Identification of parasites, diatoms, and other biological indicators. (4) Effective prosecution of these studies requires the use of small specialized whaling vessels on which a biologist must be in charge. Population Analyses It is essential that population analysis be uncoupled from the past and present dependence on the capture of animals on the traditional whaling grounds. An adequate picture of population structure can be obtained only if sampling is carried on throughout the year in all parts of the population's range and all classes in the population. To do this will require that the breeding area be found by exploration and that some selective whaling (under license) be done on a basis of scientific rather than economic need. It will be helpful if such breeding areas could be designated as research control areas where whaling would be by license only. Population analyses of the sort proposed will involve the use of ships such as the Peder Huse, which can serve as catchers, biological laboratories, and as factory ships, and are not confined to coastal areas. This will make it possible for whales taken for biological purposes to be commercially utilized. Animals captured for study and subsequent processing should be subjected to at least the following tests: (1) detailed analysis of reproductive state and reproductive history; (2) age determination using teeth, ear plugs, ovarian histology, jawbone structure, baleen, and biological samples prepared for later biophysical and biochemical study (analysis of seasonal variations of bone tissues by an electron-microscope, X-ray diffraction ultra-sound, etc.); and (3) determination of hormone levels where practical. Trophic Analysis for Whales Although knowledge of the biology of whales when they are away from the main feeding grounds must be sought (see above), detailed quantitative information related to energetics of whale populations must be obtained. A number of topics invite attention. A few of the more obvious are listed below. 1. Trophic effects of the removal of a major consumer, such as the blue or fin whale on (a) other baleen whales and (b) other consumers of the same trophic level (sea birds, pelagic seals). 2. Seasonal and geographic localization of feeding and the role of prolonged fasting. 3. Effects of age on food habits. 4. Role of patchiness of plankton on food searching and the local distribution of whales. Does patchy distribution of whale food such as krill allow uncoupling of the mean productivity of a region from whale energetics? To answer this would require simultaneous sampling of water and plankton at areas where whales are taken and comparison of the observed productivity with average values for the region. 5. Development of models for estimating metabolic rates of large whales and methods of direct measurements of metabolism on small ones. 6. Use of aerial (and possibly satellite) photography or remote sensing to determine patchiness and distribution of plankton. The patterns of distribution of the feeding of whales are widespread geographically while at the same time, stocks are sufficiently circumscribed geographically that whales should be useful monitors of pollution of the oceans by heavy metals, pesticide residue, radio nuclides, and other fallout products. The local distribution of whales and porpoises has already been affected by the environmental deterioration associated with human activities; their numbers in the southern parts of the North Sea have decreased markedly in recent years. Since whales are among the few marine animals that can be seen from above the surface of the sea and since they are at the top of the trophic pyramid, it should be possible to use them as indicators of changes in the environmental quality of the seas. Natural History of Poorly Known Species Work on the taxonomy and natural history of poorly known species should be continued and expanded. The smaller cetaceans, including porpoises and dolphins, in particular, invite attention. As previously indicated, they represent a biological resource concerning which our ignorance is almost complete. Study of Unexploited Stocks of Large Whales A few relatively unexploited stocks of large whales remain. They are too small to be of major economic importance, but knowledge of them can serve as baselines with which to compare stocks which have long been exploited or over-exploited. The sperm whale population of the western South Atlantic and the gray whale population of the eastern North Pacific offer attractive possibilities. Whale Movements in Relation to Hydrographic Factors and Submarine Geology To a marine mammal, the sea is probably an environment with many local variations. It is possible that bottom topography-submarine canyons, ridges, flat-topped seamounts, etc.-play an important role in their distribution and ecology. It is clear that oceanographic factors are important to them. The role of these elements of the submarine environment could be explored by the conventional means of correlating the occurrence of whales with them or by the detailed tracking by means of telemetry of individuals carrying radio packages that have sensors equipped for depth and temperature measurements (see below). Telemetric Studies of Free-Ranging Individuals Because we cannot directly observe whales in their natural environment, we have had to develop our knowledge of cetacean natural history by inferences drawn from dead animals and brief observations of live animals when they were near the surface. The development of radio telemetry offers the possibility of directly following known individuals for long periods of time, while also obtaining data on the environmental conditions they meet and measurements of physiological parameters from which behavioral responses can be deduced. It is technically possible to equip a whale with a telemetry and recording package which would allow the determination of location, abdominal temperature, water pressure, light intensity, velocity, time, magnetic heading, water temperature, heart rate, and breathing. From these data, it would be possible to follow an individual (either alone or in a group) and obtain information about location; direction and speed of travel; frequency, duration and depths of dives; times and depths of feeding; and the nature of the water through which it passes. The Smaller Whales It is important that we consider not only the "commercial" species-the baleen whales and the sperm whales-but also the smaller whales, including the porpoises and dolphins. These smaller cetaceans, although for the most part not commercially exploited, represent a resource of major potential economic importance. This has been clearly demonstrated by recent developments in the American tuna fishery, which has produced a problem of great economic and biological importance affecting delphinids of the genera Stenella and Delphinus. Tuna fishermen locate schools of tuna by watching for porpoise and sea bird activity. Having sighted a school, they enclose it in a long purse net which not only captures the tuna but also the cetaceans. There is at present no practical method for effectively separating these delphinids from the tuna. As a result, the setting of one tuna net may result in the death of scores or even hundreds of porpoises. Over most of the world, there is no good market for porpoise meat so the dead porpoises are discarded. It has been estimated that in the eastern Pacific alone as many as 250,000 porpoises are wasted annually as a result of this situation. It is obviously only a matter of time until this extremely efficient method of tuna fishing becomes widespread. The resultant wastage of porpoises will represent a major problem in all oceans. Aside from this specific instance, it is clear that in view of the worldwide shortage of animal protein, in the near future porpoise hunting as an end in itself will become an important enterprise. At present, we do not have the biological information necessary to apply effective management to a porpoise fishery-even the alpha-taxonomy of the smaller cetaceans is fragmentary. Knowledge of their natural history distribution-not to mention their behavior and reproductive biology—is equally incomplete. George A. Bartholomew, Jr., chairman; A. Aguayo, W. Dawbin, R Report of the Working Group on Regional Populations Stock identification is an important prerequisite for rational exploitation of a fishery. The working group considers that there are five main approaches to this problem for cetaceans: studies of density distribution; marking; biochemical techniques; morphometrics and morphology; and biological indicators. The working group considered these five main approaches in relation to three categories of exploited species: large cetaceans (the larger mysticetes and Physeter); medium-sized cetaceans (minke, pilot, killer, belugas, narwhals and all species of beaked whales); and small cetaceans (dolphins, porpoises and the remaining cetaceans). |