25 



So, I would like to, you know, think that you could keep the com- 

 mittee informed about that. Some of us serve on both the author- 

 ization and appropriation side, and we would like to keep track of 

 that. 



One of the nagging questions is, after you get it started, Who is 

 going to pay for it on an ongoing basis? Have you looked at that 

 issue? 



Dr. Foster. Yes. What we are planning to do with a portion of 

 the carryover funds is to contract for a design of implementation, 

 what it will actually cost for the monitoring of the takes for ob- 

 server coverage, for enforcement, these kinds of things. 



Senator Stevens. We have had, in effect, limited entry concept 

 in Alaska, and, you know, the permits are worth a lot of money but 

 the enforcement is not there. 



Dr. Foster. Correct. 



Senator Stevens. I wonder, if we are trying to find some way of 

 creating a new piece of paper that is worth so much money, if there 

 is not some way that that value can be used to pay for the program 

 that created it. It is a matter — Mr. Chairman, I think we should 

 plan to have some hearings. I would hope vou would join me in 

 coming up to God's country here this — maybe in August, and we 

 will do a little marine research along with the research into how 

 to pay for some of these. 



We have great interest, as you know, in the Fisheries Obligation 

 Guarantee Program, and Alaska producers are very serious about 

 their interest because of the subsidized fish that is coming in from 

 Chile and Norway, and enormous producers coming out of Russia. 



I would like to know whether there is going to be a commitment 

 that the guarantees will be fully utilized if this budget is approved. 

 Mr. Hall, I think you have been involved in some of that, and Dr. 

 Baker. 



Dr. Baker. Senator Stevens, let me just give you a quick answer 

 for 1993. 



We have been processing loan guarantee applications with a pri- 

 ority on refinancing existing loans and for providing funds for 

 shoreside processors that are engaged in processing underutilized 

 species. The program's authority to guarantee loans was expanded 

 last year to include aquaculture, but at present no request for such 

 guarantees has been made to the program. 



We do not have any funds requested in 1994 for the Fishery Ob- 

 ligation Guarantee Fund. Given the fact that we simply did not 

 have enough money in our system, it was a very tough budget year, 

 and we had to make some tough budget decisions there. 



Senator Stevens. Well, you have the $47 million carryover, do 

 you not, the money that was not utilized from the last cycle this 

 budget asked us to carry forward in the next cycle? 



Mr. Moxam. Under the Federal Credit Reform Act, Senator, that 

 money would not carry over into fiscal year 1994, as I understand 

 it — the ability to make those guarantees, sir. 



Senator Stevens. Well, how about using it in 1993? You have 

 still got some time to go. 



Mr. Moxam. We have some pending applications, as Dr. Baker 

 mentioned, that we are looking at. I am not sure that it would be 

 in that amount though, sir. 



