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on enhanced studies of the charterboat, squid/mackerel trawling, canyon 

 tuna chunking and some other HMS harvesters . 



If Congress is really interested in improving management for HMS, they 

 should demand comparable regulations and monitoring requirements for all 

 businesses that profit from access to these resources, require Plan 

 Development Teams, and demand that the Secretary enhance NOAA's research 

 efforts and ensure fair treatment for U.S. fishermen. Our cunendments 

 satisfy part of this. To address the other issues. Congress could 

 require licenses for all harvesters of HMS, mandatory permits, logbooks, 

 and sampling sheets for all businesses, including party, charter, and 

 headboat businesses, prohibit sale by non-commercially registered 

 vessels, prohibit all purchases by restaurants and others from non- 

 permitted commercial sources. In short, let's clean up our own problems 

 with monitoring these fisheries, and support responsible science-based 

 management by the Secretary. 



We support Congress's wisdom in defending American fishermen and their 

 related industries from hasty unilateral actions. As a fishermen, I 

 remember vividly when the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council 

 almost put my family out of business by asserting that the U.S. should 

 unilaterally cut its swordfish harvest by almost 80%. Fortunately, 

 Congress insisted that multi-national, rather than unilateral, solutions 

 were necessary. 



We now know that the draconian harvest reductions were unjustified. We 

 also found that total harvest, both U.S. and foreign, are better 

 controlled (and ultimately - more effective) through international 

 negotiations. We need the cooperation of the international community and 

 the international peer review of the science to ensure that conservation 

 goals are sound and measures are working. 



Our fishery today is better off - thanks in large measure to the judgment 

 of this Committee that American fishermen should not be made to bear a 

 disproportionate share of the conservation burden. 



I thank the Chairman and the Subcommittee for the opportunity to testify 

 today and I will be happy to answer any questions that you may have. 



