REAUTHORIZATION OF THE MAGNUSON FISH- 

 ERY, CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT 

 ACT 



THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 1993 



U.S. Senate, 

 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, 



Dillingham, AK. 



The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:00 a.m. at City 

 Hall, Dillingham, AK, Hon. Ernest F. Hollings (chairman of the 

 committee) presiding. 



Staff members assigned to this hearing: Penelope D. Dalton, sen- 

 ior professional staff member; and John A. Moran, minority staff 

 counsel. 



OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR HOLLINGS 



The Chairman. Welcome to today's hearing on the reauthoriza- 

 tion of the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act. 

 This is the fourth in a series of hearings by the Senate Committee 

 on Commerce, Science, and Transportation to evaluate Federal ac- 

 tivities and legislation that affect U.S. fisheries. We are here, as 

 most of you know, at the invitation of the senior Senator from Alas- 

 ka, Senator Stevens. Before we begin, I thank my friend and col- 

 league for his insistence on a personal investigation into the condi- 

 tion of Alaska fishery resources. I am always pleased to have the 

 opportunity to verify for myself the truth of his claims regarding 

 the great beauty of his home State and its wealth of fisheries — and 

 he's entirely correct. 



The fishery resources found off these shores are indeed a valu- 

 able national heritage. In 1992, American fishermen landed almost 

 10 billion pounds offish, producing $3.7 billion in dockside reve- 

 nues. By weight of catch, the United States is the world's sixth 

 largest fishing nation. We are also the top seafood exporter, with 

 exports valued at over $3 billion in 1991. 



The primary statute governing Federal regulation of marine fish- 

 eries is, of course, the Magnuson Act, slated for reauthorization 

 this year. As part of the reauthorization process, today's hearing 

 will focus on the conservation and management of fisheries in the 

 North Pacific, as well as the effectiveness of the management sys- 

 tem established by the Magnuson Act. Among the specific chal- 

 lenges which we face are: the growing overcapacity of the U.S. fish- 

 ing fleet; the implementation of limited entry systems; safeguards 

 against conflicts of interest within the regional fishery manage- 

 ment councils; reduction of waste and bycatch; habitat and eco- 



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