We have known this decHne is taking place. The New England 

 Fishery Management Council has been charged to do something 

 about it, but action has not been taken. 



We all understand the conflicts that exist within councils. We un- 

 derstand the procrastination and the self-interest that has domi- 

 nated some decisions. We respect individual autonomy and democ- 

 racy and the capacity of local communities to make their decisions. 

 But they cannot refuse to make these decisions. And we now find 

 that biologists and most fishermen say that local waters are being 

 overfished. In the last 5 years, more lobstermen sinking more traps 

 have begun scouring virtually every cove from Rhode Island to 

 Maine, according to industry analysts. The feared result — a de- 

 pleted stock of lobsters. 



And it is very clear that we are simply not providing these lob- 

 sters the opportunity to recoup. Laddie Dexter, the President of the 

 Massachusetts Lobstermen Association, estimates the number of 

 traps in local waters has risen 30 percent in the last 5 years. This 

 is disgraceful. 



And the State of Massachusetts, which controls up to the 3-mile 

 mark, which is where most of the lobster pots are, refused to cede 

 to Federal suggestions that there be a larger minimum catch size, 

 and so forth. 



So, it is very simple, folks. This is the story, whether it is lob- 

 sters in New England, bluefin tuna, or squid, it does not matter. 

 If we continue to permit the rape of the world's oceans, we are 

 going to destroy the ecosystem, which is extraordinarily fragile. 

 And we will not do it by fishing alone: we will do it by habitat de- 

 struction, by overdevelopment, by waste, and by the ruination of 

 this extraordinary resource. 



So, I think there is enormous urgency in what we are undertak- 

 ing. And I am going to call on the Secretary of Commerce to review 

 what has happened in New England, to make a determination 

 whether or not there is a more urgent regimen that has to be 

 placed into effect, call on the fishermen themselves, as the fisher- 

 men in Maine, I think, have done a better job of doing, of trying 

 to set up a regimen of policing themselves. 



If fishermen cannot police themselves, other people will do it for 

 them, and it will not be pleasant. That is the simple reality. 



So, we are here today to discuss the hard facts that face all of 

 us. This is not just something that is befalling New England. There 

 are irresponsible, renegade criminal activities taking place on the 

 high seas today. There is a form of pirating that is no different 

 from the pirates of previous years. And the pirating today goes out 

 and seeks simply to bypass the laws, avoid the rules, and reach the 

 marketplace. And we are going to have to take actions, and some 

 of them, I think, are going to have to be serious actions, to protect 

 the interests of future generations, not to mention our own inter- 

 ests today. Senator Stevens. 



OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR STEVENS 



Senator Stevens. Well, Mr. Chairman, I welcome this hearing, 

 and I understand the frustration that you have just expressed. I 

 would put a footnote on one of the comments you made about the 

 North Pacific pollock. That is, I do believe that the harvest of the 



