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Senator Stevens. No, I would like to know that. Scientists from 

 the National Marine Fishery Service unveiled a pink-king salmon 

 hybrid, a fish with the fast growth rate of pink salmon and the 

 large size of the king salmon. Actually, some of my friends were ac- 

 tually allowed to sample a taste of this new hybrid. It is called a 

 transgenic fish, similar to the transgenic carp. 



Now, you tell me who invented it. I do not know. 



Dr. Foster. I recognize the name. But I will look into that. 



As you know, we are very concerned about protection of the wild 

 stocks. So, I will try to see what I can find out about that and let 

 you know. 



Senator Stevens. I urge you to do it soon. The king salmon are 

 on us and they are great this summer, and I am sure yours, Dr. 

 Baker, in Washington are going to be after you the same way. 

 Someone ought to tell us really what they are doing, and you know, 

 science is science. If it is going to be of benefit to us it is one thing, 

 but if it is another problem of the intersection of hatchery fish with 

 wild fish, I think we are going to have a real battle. 



Dr. Baker, what about the IFQ plan now? The administration 

 has approved the North Pacific Fisheries Council proposal for hali- 

 but and sablefish. It is estimated to cost $5 million, we are told. 

 It will run about $3.1 million a year. 



There is not any money in the till, so to speak, and yet it has 

 been approved. I have had some reservations about IFQ plans, but 

 I know something has to happen. How is it going to be funded? 

 Where are you going to get the money? 



Dr. Baker. Senator Stevens, it is my understanding that there 

 was some carryover funds to start that process, 1992 carryover 

 funds that would be available, about $570,000, and that this would 

 allow at least some initial implementation of the program in late 

 1994. That would start the program, but it is not fully funded, as 

 you pointed out. 



Nancy, do you have any further comment on that? 



Dr. Foster. No, that is correct. We have close to $600,000 in car- 

 ryover that we have given to our Alaska region to do startup, and 

 we are looking across the service now to identify people that might 

 be willing to spend some time in Alaska and work with the re- 

 gional office to get it off the ground. But you are correct. I mean, 

 there is no identified pot of money to fund this. 



I guess the critical thing is that the success or failure of IFQ pro- 

 grams depends on adequate implementation, so we are very con- 

 scious of the need to do this right in order for it to work. 



Senator Stevens. Well, there are a series of them coming along 

 now, and our region is pioneering them, I guess, and I am all for 

 us being pioneers, but I would hope that we would find a way to 

 make certain this one works and that we can find a way to fund 

 it without disturbing the overall NOAA budget before we go on to 

 some of the massive plans that are coming along now. 



We have got one coming, as I understand it, on crab, king crab. 

 We have got another one coming on groundfish. When we get to 

 that one, that one is going to be really expensive. If this one cost 

 $3.1 million a year dealing with halibut and sablefish, the dif- 

 ference in the groundfish cost is going to be horrendous. 



