bee population reached the U.S. This in part hampered other gov- 

 ernmental and non-governmental agencies for establishing their 

 territories as part of the solution puzzle, due to this major player 

 holding a stage it eventually has seemingly abandoned. Assistance 

 in the form of a cooperative trapping program or, as a minimum, 

 I suggest, purchasing of traps and pheromone lures making them 

 available to others that will do the trapping mainly by State de- 

 partments of agriculture are recommended. 



The next two recommendations are those that speak to research 

 and education. I have adready mentioned those. Let me skip to the 

 next one on the ninth page of my prepared text. 



The mechanism that seems to be most effective in reducing man- 

 assisted movement of Africanized bees is establishment of a regu- 

 lated zone. So far this has been done only in Texas which had in 

 place an action plan to deal with the Africanized bee before its ar- 

 rival. Now with multi-state distribution, we need more Federal in- 

 volvement. A national conference cosponsored with USDA and 

 NASDA in 1991 was directed toward development of a national cer- 

 tification and regulation. How are we going to deal with this popu- 

 lation, a plan of that nature? Now seems an appropriate time to, 

 again, get aJl segments of our industry together with governmental 

 and research agencies, both those that are directly involved with 

 bees and those not, to listen to what is working in Texas and de- 

 velop a workable, effective national action plan for Africanized 

 bees. 



Thank you for the opportunity to present these comments. 



Senator Akaka. Thank you very much, Dr. Caron. Because there 

 is a vote in progress, I am going to ask that we break for about 

 10 minutes. The Committee will be in recess subject to the call of 

 the Chair. 



[Recess.] 



Senator Akaka. The Committee will be in order. 



I have a statement from Senator Lieberman which I ask to be 

 printed in the record. We certainly appreciate his contribution to 

 the hearing, and other Senators may have statements as well. If 

 they do, we will include them in the record. 



PREPARED STATEMENT OF SENATOR LIEBERMAN 



Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I know the general subject of endangered species and 

 the specific subject of nonindigenous species is one that you've taken great care 

 with, and I appreciate your leadership and your efforts to elevate the debate on 

 these matters. 



I regret that prior scheduling commitments will prevent me from staying to hear 

 the full testimony of today's witnesses, because I, too, care deeply about this topic. 

 The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on which I serve will begin 

 the process this year to reauthorize the Endangered Species Act. The issue of 

 nonindigenous or exotic species should be addressed then, as well. 



I'm particularly glad to welcome Dr. James T. Carleton today. Dr. Carleton's work 

 at the Mystic Seaport will benefit not only Long Island Sound, but all our coastal 

 waters. 



Dr. Carleton will talk later about the zebra mussel invasion and its cost to the 

 Great Lakes Region and the Hudson River. I won't belabor our concern that it may 

 yet reach Long Island Sound. But there are two examples specific to Connecticut 

 that I think of when I think of invasive species. 



The first is fragmites. It looks pretty, when seen from a passing car on 1-95, wav- 

 ing cat-tail like, over a tidal pona. In truth, it's an invader, choking the coastal tidal 

 wetlands along Long Island Sound, driving out native species, preventing those wet- 

 lands from delivering their full functional value — as filters for pollution, as nurs- 



