Ill 



necessary for sustenance and survival * * * and by an economic dependence on the 

 dollars generated from small scale commercial fisheries. Year round job opportuni- 

 ties are scarce to nonexistent, which often results in chronic unemployment, social 

 problems, and poverty. 



Ironically, the villages of western Alaska are situated in close proximity to the 

 fisheries of the Bering Sea, one of the world's richest renewable resources. Until the 

 creation of the CDQ program, western Alaska residents had no means of raising the 

 capital necessary to participate in the deep water large vessel fisheries that harvest 

 the Bering Sea resource. 



The first CDQ fishery occurred in December, 1992. The 1993 CDQ allocation was 

 harvested earlier this year. The CDQ corporations have just finished submitting ap- 

 plications to the State of Alaska for the 1994-95 pollock quota allocations. Under 

 the current management plan, the CDQ program will expire at the end of 1995 in 

 anticipation of the approval of a comprehensive plan for allocating the fisheries re- 

 source in all North Pacific fisheries. 



As a lifelong resident of Norton Sound, I have noted the sense of hope that has 

 swept through western Alaska as a result of the CDQ program. The program * * * 

 which is closely monitored by the state and federal governments stresses jobs, train- 

 ing and education. It provides economic opportunities that can supplement and en- 

 hance the lifestyles lea by the people of western Alaska. 



We are extremely excited about this program. It has opened up new worlds of op- 

 portunity. The CDQ program provides access to fish, not money. The residents of 

 western Alaska have the responsibility for turning this access into actual economic 

 value. It is a competitive performance-based program. The allocations are based on 

 the success of the outcome. Even though CDQs are having a tremendous positive 

 impact on our region, they are off-budget in the federal appropriation process. 



THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSERVATION 



As new participants in Economic Enterprise Zone fisheries, we intend to make the 

 conservation of the resource our highest priority. We have argued for conservation 

 ever since we became involved in the fishery management process. This philosophy 

 will not change even though our role has shifted from small boat fishermen standing 

 on the outside to quota-holders participating in industrial-scale fishing operations. 



For example, we fully support the presence of two observers on board CDQ pollock 

 vessels and the weighing of all harvested tonnage in order to obtain the most accu- 

 rate and comprehensive catch data. These practices add expense to the operations 

 of a pioneer industry, but * * * in our view * * * they are reasonable require- 

 ments that are worth the extra effort. 



For these reasons, WAFDA is pleased that conservation has emerged as on of the 

 leading issues in this year's round of reauthorization hearings. We encourage Con- 

 gress to examine measures that would give the fishery management councils more 

 tools to deal with by-catch in a more efficient and timely manner, to protect ocean 

 habitat, to collect better data, to help curtail administrative roadblocks for fishery 

 management plans that thwart conservation measures, and to allow the full consid- 

 eration of management factors in addition to economic efficiency. 



One reason we are so enthusiastic about the CDQ program is the way the CDQ 

 corporations have used CDQ revenues to address long-standing problems in their re- 

 gions and lay the groundwork for future challenges. Western Alaska is bursting 

 with activity as a result of CDQs. Summaries of the WAFDA membership's activi- 

 ties and plans clearly demonstrate the CDQ program's tremendous value. 



BRISTOL BAY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION 



The Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation is working on immediate, me- 

 dian and long-term job opportunities in the 14 CDQ communities. BBEDC is work- 

 ing with the University of Alaska, school districts, and local businesses on imple- 

 menting a training program that can place many local residents into existing jobs 

 in the region. BBEDC also is working with businesses to encourage them to take 

 local people * * * once they have gone through training * * * to take people into 

 their companies as interns or entry level workers. 



BBEDC has developed a vocational training program which will focus on bringing 



f>eople into the existing work force both in the region and in the state. BBEDC is 

 ooking at internships with local business associates and ask them to consider their 

 people for new jobs. BBEDC believes an aggressive regional local hire program in 

 conjunction with an effective training program can reap great benefits for Bristol 

 Bay area residents. 



BBEDC's corporate partner, Oceantrawl, Inc., hired thirty-eight Bristol Bay resi- 

 dents to work on its trawlers. The goal is sixty employees by the end of 1993. 



