18 



ies have long passed. We need to concentrate on modernizing our 

 outdated approach to managing and funding our fisheries programs 

 and reflect these changes to better manage the limited resources in 

 the future. 



In conclusion, the Sport Fishing Institute supports the concepts 

 embodied within this draft legislation. We strongly endorse the 

 provisions which provide for a Federal moratorium in the case of 

 noncompliance with ASMFC management plans and those provi- 

 sions which require full compliance with the Weakfish Manage- 

 ment Plan within six months. We urge the addition of the provi- 

 sions which require all States to implement the Summer Flounder 

 Management Plan within six months and to grant the Secretary of 

 the Interior a role equal to the Secretary of Commerce. 



This draft legislation contains the minimum conservation re- 

 quirements necessary to improve the management of these fisher- 

 ies, and we urge this Committee to strengthen the legislation with 

 our recommendations. Thank you and I will be free for any ques- 

 tions. 



[The prepared statement of Mr. Loftus can be found at the end of 

 the hearing.] 



Mr. Lancaster. Thank you, Mr. Loftus. Mr. Schill. 



STATEMENT OF JERRY SCHILL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NORTH 

 CAROLINA FISHERIES ASSOCIATION, INC. 



Mr. Schill. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is indeed a pleasure to 

 be here this morning. We appreciate the opportunity. I am Jerry 

 Schill, the Executive Director of the North Carolina Fisheries Asso- 

 ciation, also a member of the South Atlantic Fishery Management 

 Council. My comments this afternoon are strictly in accordance 

 with my position of NCFA. 



The gist of an interjurisdictional bill is that all efforts to foster 

 cooperation among the States have failed. We vehemently disagree. 

 It might be said that all efforts have been exhausted to foster coop- 

 eration among the various bureaucrats in their corresponding Fed- 

 eral and State agencies, but to extend that to include the so-called 

 user groups is an absolute fallacy. 



Our organization is 41 years old, and I have served in my present 

 position for almost six years; on the South Atlantic for almost four. 

 The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is 51 years old 

 this year. Yet, until March of 1992, our group never received any 

 type of communication except that which we requested in accord- 

 ance with their operation. 



In May of 1992, 1 attended the spring meeting of the ASMFC as a 

 voting member by proxy. I was amazed at the lack of attention 

 given to their "compact" which is a public law passed by the 77th 

 Congress and amended by the 81st Congress. For example, Article 

 VII States that the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission 

 shall establish an advisory Committee. 



Mr. Chairman, until this morning, the Atlantic States Marine 

 Fisheries Commission had no advisory Committee. Yet, the lan- 

 guage in that public law passed by the Congress States that they 

 shall establish it. My point, Mr. Chairman, is twofold. First, the 

 ASMFC's compact is a public law passed by the United States Con- 



