153 



development projects in the region. Under the present plan, the pollock program will 

 last through 1995. 



STRENGTHENING THE REGIONAL COUNCIL PROCESS 



Section 302 of the Act establishes the eight Regional Fishery Management Coun- 

 cils (the Councils). Recently, the Councils have come under increasing criticism. 

 These complaints range from concerns over the makeup of the individual Councils, 

 to real or perceived conflicts of interest on the part of Council members, to the in- 

 ability of some Councils to address important management and conservation issues. 

 Some of these criticisms are particular to one or two Councils, others are more gen- 

 eral and are aimed at the Council system as a whole. 



The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) is the regional council 

 managing fisheries off Alaska. As a consequence, the status of the NPFMC is of 

 paramount importance to the state. However, because criticisms leveled at the coun- 

 cil system as a whole can affect the management of fisheries off our shores, the 

 State of Alaska places a high premium on the effective operation of the entire re- 

 gional fishery management system. 



One of the most serious complaints about the Councils is the quality of represen- 

 tation and perceived conflicts of interest on the part of individual Council members. 

 Presently, the Act calls or the participation or persons who are knowledgeable and 

 experienced in fisheries managed by the Councils. This will, by definition, result in 

 some perceived level of conflict of interest. However, the State believes that the ex- 

 pertise brought to the fishery management system by such individuals is an impor- 

 tant and critical component of fishery management. These are people who under- 

 stand, in a very practical sense, how the fishery operates and whether or not man- 

 agement measures will succeed on the grounds. Unless the Congress decides to 

 pface fishery management and allocation in the hands of faceless bureaucrats, ivory 

 tower academicians, or persons who know nothing about the fisheries, there will be 

 at least the perception of conflict of interest on the Councils. 



It is important to remember that Congress has addressed this matter in a number 

 of amendments to Section 302 by strengthening the financial disclosure provisions 

 of the Act and requiring the Secretary to ensure a fair and balanced apportionment 

 of interests when making Council appointments. Implementation has been poor. The 

 performance of the Councils is determined by the quality of the individuals involved. 

 Appointees to the Councils carry a very important responsibility, and should be of 

 the highest caliber. The Secretary has the authority to reject recommended ap- 

 pointees, and a screening process to judge the ability of the candidates. It is ulti- 

 mately the responsibility of the secretary to ensure that the Council appointees are 

 qualified for the job and that there is balanced representation. The provisions al- 

 ready in the Act provide the means to help address the conflict of interest issue, 

 but ineffective implementation by the Secretary has kept this issue alive. 



The Councils are also coming under criticism for not resolving important con- 

 servation and management issues. In much of the United States fish stocks are se- 

 verely depressed, fisheries are overcapitalized, and management programs are inef- 

 fective. Critics are calling for a major overhaul in the Nation's fishery management 

 system to correct these problems. We believe that these criticisms are more appro- 

 priately directed at the Secretary and NMFS. 



In the North Pacific region, the overall record of the NPFMC is one of strong sup- 

 port for fishery conservation, often at the expense of the economic self-interest of. 

 the individual members. Most importantly, the actions taken by the NPFMC to con- 

 serve the resource have consistently had the overwhelming support of the Alaska 

 members on the Council. 



For example, it was the North Pacific Fishery Management Council which led the 

 fight to prohibit roe stripping and instituted the Nation's first comprehensive do- 

 mestic observer program. It is the NPFMC which has placed a moratorium on new 

 vessels and entrants into the fishery to address the overcapitalization problem, and 

 begin the painful process to rationalize the Nation's largest fishery. It is the 

 NPFMC which is trying, despite resistance from NMFS, to implement a rebuilding 

 program for depressed stocks of Pacific Ocean Perch and other rockfish. And, it is 

 the NPFMC which is presently trying to institute real-time fishery data gathering 

 programs to enhance inseason management, implement further measures 4o reduce 

 bycatch, and improve fishery enforcement, while at the same time trying to reach 

 a fair allocation balance among the various sectors of the fishing industry — trawlers, 

 longliners, pot fishermen, shorebased or offshore processors, small boats, and big 

 boats. 



Perhaps most importantly, it is the NPFMC which, out of concern for the long- 

 term health of the resource, has maintained the two million ton cap on Bering Sea 



