I was disappointed in the decision to deny our Native Americans the fins of a dead whale washed up on our shores. The culture of our coastal natives includes all the life in the sea, and there are many traditions that are thousands of years old that involve this sea life, including whales.

It is ironic that at a time when western religions celebrate 2,000- and 3,000-year-old traditions, Easter and Passover, we deny these traditions to others in our midst.

There is another story about fins that involves modern long-line fishing and sharks. Since there is a great demand for shark fins in Asia, for the delicious shark fin soup, long-liners and net-drag netters will cut off the fins of live sharks and return the rest of the animal to the sea. This practice is akin to the killing of the bison for the hide, then discarding the carcass.

In case no one has noticed, there is a great resurgence in sea mammals, whales and seals in particular. It is estimated that there are now more than a million sperm whales in the oceans, and even the giant blue whale is making a comeback. Seals are as much of a nuisance in coastal California as deer are on the East End. These sea mammals eat enormous quantities of fish, a precious human resource as well.

I foresee a time when we will once again hunt whale and seal for food. But until that time, I recommend a clear and humane policy to deal with the more frequent beachings of whales in the future. The Shinnecocks should have access to the dead whales for ceremonial purposes, and then the whales should be returned to the sea and not buried on the beach.

RONALD HALWEIL, M.D.
Southampton