52 



Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Fisheries Management 



Hearing on the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act 

 October 20, 1993 



Mr. Chairman, my name is Eric Hesse and I am a commercial bluefin tuna 

 fishermen from Centerville, Massachusetts and I also have a Masters of 

 Science in environmental engineering from the University of 

 Massachusetts at Amherst. I have been fishing bluefin tuna for 10 years 

 and I am affiliated with Cape Quality Bluefin (a fishermen's cooperative 

 marketing association), South Dennis. I have been a member of the Board 

 of Directors of the East Coast Tuna Association since 1986. I appreciate 

 this opportunity to share my views with the Subcommittee on necessary 

 changes to the Atlantic Tunas Convention Act. 



Our overall view is that the current system of highly migratory 

 management with principle authority vested with the Secretary 

 of Commerce is fundamentally sound. We do however, see a need for 

 a limited number of important changes that are necessary to improve the 

 overall process and enhance opportunities for participation and support 

 from fishermen and the fishing communities. I will describe a number of 

 these necessary changes in light of the existing crisis over the U.S. 

 position for bluefin tuna at the upcoming ICCAT meeting. The four major 

 points of my testimony are: 



1. Authority for highly migratory species management must remain with 

 the Secretary of Commerce; 



2. Scientific assessment responsibility for Atlantic bluefin tuna must be 

 transferred to Northeast Fisheries Center in Woods Hole in order to 

 restore scientific integrity, balance and fishermen's confidence and trust 

 in the scientific and management process. U.S. fishermen are doing much 

 more than our fair share to conserve bluefin because Miami has politicized 

 the science; 



3. ATCA provision limiting disadvantaging of U.S. fishermen needs to be 

 strengthened and "increasing or decreasing language expanded to include 

 fishing mortality consideration; 



4. Changes are required to allow establishment of FACA exempt planning 

 teams and require important but minor technical revisions regarding data 

 collection and timing of rulemaking. 



