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address the competing and frequently conflicting needs of the domestic fisheries. 

 The current complex enforcement regime for fishermen and managers alike is one 

 of the problems being reviewed. I personally attend a portion of every council meet- 

 ing and have designated Captain Bill Anderson, my Chief of Law Enforcement, as 

 my representative for the entire session. Captain Anderson brings to this job many 

 years of experience in fisheries law enforcement, both from commanding a cutter in 

 Alaska ana as the previous chief of fisheries enforcement at Coast Guard Head- 

 quarters in Washington, DC. 



My observation is that the North Pacific resource users are fully involved in the 

 council process of developing management measures. That involvement is vital to 

 achieving industry buy-in and promoting compliance with management regulations. 

 Coast Guard participation in the council is also important. With respect to enforce- 

 ment and safety issues, the Council listens. A law enforcement committee, of which 

 the Coast Guard is a member, is in place to review regulatory proposals and make 

 recommendations on enforceability. I am satisfied that the Coast Guard's voice is 

 heard and our recommendations carefully considered in the committee and in open 

 session. 



This past year, the Commandant completed a study of the Coast Guard's living 

 marine resource enforcement program. The recommendations of that study focused 

 on making the following four quality improvements: 



1. Improving interagency cooperation and coordination of enforcement operations 

 at all levels; 



2. Improving the training and expertise of Coast Guard fisheries law enforcement 

 personnel; 



3. Improving the enforceability of fisheries management measures by increasing 

 our participation on the regional fishery management councils; and 



4. Expanding and increasing support for Coast Guard fisheries law enforcement 

 through increased dialogue with all stakeholders. 



During the past year, we have made progress in each of these four areas. We are 

 now embarking on an aggressive program for continuous improvement, especially 

 with regard to training and increased dialogue with all stakeholders. First, improv- 

 ing the training and expertise of Coast Guard fisheries law enforcement personnel 

 is paramount to promoting compliance. Fisheries managers, resource users and oth- 

 ers expect the Coast Guard's knowledge, expertise, and effectiveness in fisheries en- 

 forcement to keep pace with the rapid changes in fisheries conservation and man- 

 agement. In the North Pacific, the management regime is complex and dynamic. It 

 will stay that way for the next few years while a Comprehensive Rationalization 

 Program is developed. We are working to improve the training of our boarding per- 

 sonnel to ensure they obtain and maintain the sophisticated regional fisheries ex- 

 pertise needed to conduct effective law enforcement. The President's 1994 budget re- 

 quests funds to establish a regional fisheries law enforcement training center here 

 in Kodiak to help us fill this need. Such an approach is being used successfully in 

 a pilot program in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Our goal is to use the Cape Cod pro- 

 gram as a model and replicate this regional approach here in Kodiak. 



Second, as part of Commander, Pacific Areas Total Quality efforts, we are em- 

 barking on a pilot program to increase dialogue with the resource stakeholders. Un- 

 derstanding the concerns and needs of all affected parties will help us provide en- 

 forcement services that best meet the needs of the resource, the resource managers, 

 and-the resource users. 



In summary, the Coast Guard recognizes the importance of the fisheries resources 

 of the North Pacific and the safety of those who actively pursue them on the fishing 

 grounds. We of the Seventeenth District are firmly committed to doing our part to 

 insure proper conservation of those stocks and to promote safety in the fishing in- 

 dustry. 



I would be pleased to answer any questions. 



Prepared Statement of Chris Blackburn, Alaska Groundfish Data Bank 



For the record I am Chris Blackburn, director of the Alaska Groundfish Data 

 Bank which represents shorebased groundfish processing plants and trawl catcher 

 vessels in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea. 



The Alaskan groundfish fisheries are all federally managed through the North Pa- 

 cific Fishery Management Council — a forum in which we are very active. 



Basically we are happy with MFCMA, and would be willing to see the act reau- 

 thorized without any changes. The act provides a strong framework for conservation 

 and management of our marine resources and certainly here in the North Pacific 

 the act has worked. 



