57 



This is the kind of technology that will be available within the 

 next 5 to 10 years, will be available and be applied in the private 

 sector. It is already being transferred at its experimental stage to 

 the private sector, so it is going to be there and will make the dif- 

 ference in meeting what for the most part are realistic permit re- 

 quirements on the discharges. 



Senator Kerry. Sure. 



I think as a panel you have done an outstanding job of outlining 

 the problems that we face and priorities that we nave to address, 

 and I think the committee really wants to use every resource at our 

 disposal and every opportunity at our disposal to try to augment 

 people's focus on this industry. This is a farming industry. It is a 

 harvesting growth business with enormous potential, just enor- 

 mous potential. We are proving already in our catfish farming and 

 other things that we have great markets and great ability to do it. 



For obvious reasons of supply and demand, other countries have 

 moved faster than we have to try to develop their skills on it. I 

 think we need to now move equally as fast and pointedly, and we 

 are going to try and do that. We are going to try and build on some 

 of your recommendations. 



Clearly, the permitting, one-stop-shop and so forth that you 

 talked about, that is really important. And I think we have devel- 

 oped a body of knowledge that is sufficient now about our coast and 

 the coastal zone management process and so forth that we ought 

 to be able to integrate this kind of effort with the other interests 

 that we are trying to protect, and I think you have well stated that 

 they can be harmonized. There is no reason they cannot be. 



So, again, we will leave the record open in the event we want to 

 follow up with some additional questions. 



I apologize for truncating this, but I have a noon meeting which 

 I must go to. But I am very grateful to you. This is something the 

 committee began talking about a few years ago, and I think we are 

 really in a position now to begin to launch it in a much more sig- 

 nificant way, and we are going to try and do that. So, thank you 

 for being with us today. 



We stand adjourned. 



[Whereupon, at 12:05 p.m., the hearing was adjourned.] 



