WHEREAS, the massive oil leak in the Santa Barbara Channel, California, has caused and is continuing to cause great damage to marine life, and to other resources having high human values; and
WHEREAS, entire populations of certain marine species, concentrated in limited regions, could be completely destroyed by oil pollution; and
WHEREAS, this disaster occurred where geologists had predicted that oil drilling near faults in the earth's crust might cause such leaks; and
WHEREAS, petroleum products from many sources are being released into the sea at an increasing rate through human negligence; and
WHEREAS, oil exploration is continuing in oceanic areas having a great wealth of marine life; and
WHEREAS, natural resources having as great or greater value to human life than petroleum are in potential danger;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the American Society of Mammalogists wishes to call its deep concern about this matter to the attention of Secretary Walter Hickle of the Department of the Interior of the United States, Washingon, D. C.; of Lic. Antonio Carrillo Flores, Secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores, Tlatelolco, Mexico, D. F.; of Lic. Reyes Herodes, Director General de Petroleos Mexicanos, Edificio de Petroleos Mexicanos, Mexico, D. F.; and of Minister J. J. Greene, Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, Ottawa, Canada. [Resolution to be translated into Spanish for transmittal to Mexican officials.]