33 



STATEMENT OF JAN E. DILL, VICE PRESIDENT, OCEANIC 



INSTITUTE 



Mr. Dill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the opportunity of ap- 

 pearing. My name is Jan Dill. I am vice president of the Oceanic 

 Institute located in Honolulu, HI. 01 is a private, nonprofit, applied 

 aquaculture and marine biology research facility dedicated to the 

 development of commercially viable and environmentally respon- 

 sible aquaculture technologies. Our organization is composed of 150 

 researchers and technicians and support staff, and we have been 

 working in the area of marine biology and aquaculture since 1960. 

 We are here to urge the reauthorization of NOAA. 



We also urge that this reauthorization would take into account 

 NOAA's role in supporting the development of marine and brackish 

 water aquaculture in the United States. We view NOAA's role in 

 marine aquaculture as an important part of a much needed and co- 

 ordinated national aquaculture development strategy. This role is 

 complementary to the functions and responsibilities of other Fed- 

 eral agencies, as outlined in S. 1288, the Akaka bill, presently 

 under consideration in the Senate and supported by the entire do- 

 mestic aquaculture industry. 



Presently, the Institute is working on three important NOAA- 

 supported projects that demonstrate the opportunity the agency 

 has to work with institutions such as the Institute in the area of 

 marine aquaculture. First is in the area of technology transfer. 

 NOAA has funded the Institute in the development of the Asian 

 Interchange Program. This effort has had great success in allowing 

 U.S. growers access to important technologies and techniques used 

 in foreigri commercial aquaculture. This technology transfer to the 

 United States has had practical and very positive impact on domes- 

 tic production. 



NOAA can and should play a leadership role in continuing a 

 process of education and technology transfer for the benefit of the 

 U.S. private industry. Hawaii is uniquely placed, geographically 

 and culturally, to work with NOAA to expand this capability for 

 the United States. The development of new, commercially viable, 

 environmentally benign marine finfish culture technologies is 

 central to the growth of the U.S. industry. NOAA has supported 

 the Institute in the development of such technologies, specifically 

 the culture of Coryphaena hippurus, the mahimahi fish, and pom- 

 pano, known locally at papio. Both technologies offer great eco- 

 nomic benefit for domestic producers and are examples of how 

 NOAA can successfully collaborate in marine aquaculture develop- 

 ment. 



Finally, since 1988 01 has worked in the development of respon- 

 sible stock enhancement of important recreational and commercial 

 fisheries in Hawaii. This also is a NOAA-supported effort. Mr. 

 Chairman, the State of Hawaii estimates that since 1900 close to 

 90 percent of the standing stocks of some of our in-shore fisheries 

 have been depleted for a variety of reasons. Mr. Chairman, the sit- 

 uation is not unique to Hawaii. Whatever the reasons, it is now 

 perfectly clear that enhancement of such marine and brackish 

 water species can work. 



The State of Hawaii and the Oceanic Institute through its 

 NOAA-funded project, have developed a stock-enhancement tech- 



