Until further notice the results of the mail ballot as indicated in Newsletter #18 will have to stand without action until the executive committee meets. By our constitution, we need a 2/3 majority of the voting membership. If my Newsletter did nothing except make people read the constitution then a step in the right direction has been made.

I have received a copy of the 27 page "Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972," Conference Report. It is the, House of Representatives Report 92-1488 if anyone is interested in getting copy and studying it. It would be of interested to the membership if we had an appraisal from Dr. T.S. Grafton.

The following 3 items were received from Dr. J.R. Geraci, immediate past president.

The International Symposium on the Biology of the seal was held at the University of Guelph on August 14-17, 1972. There were seventeen countries represented including a number from the Eastern bloc. The presentations scanned virtually every aspect of seal biology, including anatomy, evolution, behaviour, physiology, and medicine. The program on medicine and pesticides was composed chiefly of IAAAM members - Sam Ridgway, Murray Dailey, Lanny Cornell, Bill Gilmartin and Joe Geraci who chaired the session. Terry Wilson of Guelph and A.V. Holden of Pitlochry, Scotland rounded out the program which was followed by a lively panel discussion. In all, the Symposium was a great success.

I would like to congratulate Mike Grafton and his committee on the quality of the report which they presented the chairman of the Ocean and Atmosphere. Their suggestions raise a number of biologically sound alternatives to the proposed bill.

I've just returned from an Arctic trip where I conducted some experiments on Ketamine. The results were in accord with those that Ted Hammond reported in Hawaii last April, Twenty-six ringed seals (Pusa hispida) were immobilized with intramuscular injections of 1.5 to 6.0 mg/lb of Ketamine. Doses below 3 mg/lb immobilized the seals for up to 45 min., at which time any procedure up to and including minor surgery could be performed. Higher doses induced an apparent surgical plane of anesthesia lasting up to 2 ½ hr. Induction always occurred within 5 minutes and was uneventful in most cases. Rarely, induction was accompanied by generalized muscle quivering and on one occasion by frank convulsions and salivation. Atropinized seals did not respond in this way.

For the purpose of gastric tubing and blood sampling and generally of safely immobilizing seals for brief periods (less than 1 hr.) my concluded dose is 2-3 mg Ketamine /lb with simultaneous administration of 0.3 mg stropine/100 lb. At this dosage, core temperature and heart rate remains unchanged throughout and following immobilization.

This newsletter is an informal publication of the IAAAM distributed exclusively for the information of its members and is not to be reproduced, cited, reference or in anyway referred to as part of the scientific literature.

Since the last Newsletter I have had a communication from Dr. Hyman about the beluga whale calf. The calf was sired by a 13 yr. old male who has been in captivity for 11 years and the dam was about 7 years old and in captivity for 6 years. Use of the EKG was of no value in diagnosing the pregnancy. The calf was 6 feet long and 200 lbs. at birth. It was delivered head first and started swimming immediately. It rammed the walls of the tank repeatedly and was dead in 15 minutes. The male was very protective and prevented anyone from entering the pool. Cerebral hemorrhage was the cause of death.

As if that experience wasn't enough on Monday, Sept. 25, 1972 a pygmy sperm whale and her calf were found beached on Long Island. Both animals were taken to the New York Aquarium where the female died very soon. The calf survived until Oct. 27/72. Heroic attempts were made to keep it alive but to no avail. The calf weighed 115 lbs. when found and 97 lbs. when it died. No gross lesions were found at autopsy. We await histopathological findings on both the cow and calf.

Unless I receive dues in arrears soon, 8 will be dropped from our membership list as of Dec. 31/72. These people are two years in arrears. There are also many (15 to be exact).who are one year in arrears. Everyone in arrears was notified earlier this year. You will not receive another notice. This is your association.

The 4th Annual Meeting of the IAAAM will be held in the Empress Hotel, Victoria, British Columbia from April 30-May 2, 1973. Registration will be on Sunday, April 29, 1973. The main themes will be Fish and Marine Mammal Diseases. Dr. Hoey also has other interesting things planned. I suggest that if you want further details write to Dr. L.H. Cornell, 2633 S. Vermont Ave., Harbor City, Calif., 90710 or Dr. A.J. Hoey, 1841 Oak Bay Ave., Victoria, B.C., Canada. I hope that most of you will be able to attend.

That's it for now. A Happy Holiday Season and a prosperous 1973 to all of you.

W. Medway
December, 1972

This newsletter is an informal publication of the IAAAM distributed exclusively for the information of its members and is not to be reproduced, cited, reference or in anyway referred to as part of the scientific literature.