So, in order for them to have knowledge and experience the law 

 provides for fishermen to participate. But, if they have the knowl- 

 edge and experience, then, bam, you suddenly have a conflict. What 

 you are saying is let us not have a business interest in a manage- 

 ment decision; is that right? 



Mr. Naneng. Yes, that is right, let us not have business interests 

 in that. I know that our villages are involved with the community 

 development quotas. 



The Chairman. You mean like the CDQ? 



Mr. Naneng. I think that it is an economic opportunity for our 

 people that was not there before, especially in light of the fact that 

 they are now being given the opportunity to fish a resource that 

 is closed to them that has been fished by other foreign fleets and 

 other states in the past. And it is allowing a little — some of the em- 

 ployment opportunity for people, for young people in our villages, 

 especially on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, that may not have 

 other opportunities for employment. 



One of the things that we also would like to recommend that be 

 taken a look at is the undesirable bycatch. You know, this past 

 summer it was reported that 45,000 was caught by trawlers in the 

 Gulf of Alaska, both in western and from the Gulf of Alaska over- 

 all, and, you know, that is a large bycatch. And for biologists to say 

 that there is no impact on declining fish species without any sci- 

 entific basis, we do not support that, because our biologists in west- 

 ern Alaska, you know, the State-run biologists, are not allowed to 

 say that any other fisheries is impacting the fish that are supposed 

 to be returning to the terminal fishery. 



The Chairman. Why are they not allowed to say that? 



Mr. Naneng. You have to ask the State for a clear definition for 

 that. And if they make a comment in regards to that, they will be 

 accused of trying to close out other fisheries. 



The Chairman. Do we have a State witness on the panel this 

 morning? 



Mr. McCabe. I think in Ketchikan we will. 



The Chairman. In Ketchikan we will, good. Remind me of this 

 question. By the way, if I do not ask any questions you all want 

 asked, let me know, OK? 



Mr. Naneng. All right. One of the other recommendations that 

 we have is that the National Marine Fisheries be authorized to 

 modify and prohibit projects that will degrade essential fish habi- 

 tat. You know, with the decline of fisheries on the Yukon and the 

 Kuskokwim, we have been asked to introduced aquacultures, and 

 our people do not want farm fish. That is what they are called. 



One of the reasons why our people do not support that is because 

 the Pacific northwest has good habitat and no fish. A lot of fish are 

 being turned out by the aquaculture fish, but they do not return 

 to spawn. So, that is a problem that they see with the fishery en- 

 hancement projects that include the aquaculture, especially the 

 farm fish concept. 



The Chairman. They do not favor fish farming. Why is there a 

 problem when the fish do not come back? 



Mr. Naneng. It hurts the wild stocks. It depletes the wild stocks 

 in one form or another, competing with the food habitat out in the 

 ocean and whatever, and then they return in lower numbers. And 



