56 



Fisheries Subcommittee -5- October 20, 1993 



western continents was arbitrarily defined as beginning at 40''W BO'N and 

 proceeding to 40»W ICN...." 



No one seems to be clear on how the line got moved from 40** to 45° in the 

 first year but it is known that since 1982 protection of bluefin ends at 

 45°. We now know for example that in recent years Japanese fishermen 

 catch from about 800 to nearly 1400 tons of bluefin from an area 

 approximately 150 miles from the controversial line. These catches 

 abutting the line exceed the Miami estimate of the replacement yield (i.e. 

 1200 mt) for the hypothesized western stock. These fish obviously belong 

 to any western stock and in the light of these recent catches the arbitrary 

 line now looks down right silly. 



At the most recent U.S. ICCAT Advisory Committee meeting on October 14 

 and 15 a 'straw poll" was taken on a number of relevant issues and 

 revealed little support for current Miami positions . 18 (out of 20) of the 

 U.S. ICCAT Advisors believe that the primary focus of U.S. policy needs to 

 be the establishment of management measures on the eastern and 

 Mediterranean fisheries that now account for more than 93% of the total 

 Atlantic catch. 13 of the U.S. Advisors do not believe the hypothetical 

 stock division has any merit. 14 of the U.S. Advisors will no longer 

 support further reductions in the restrictive U.S. bluefin quota. 



Mr. Chairman, I regret that we must call upon Congress In the 

 reauthorization of the ATCA to transfer scientific assessment 

 responsibilities from the Southeast Fisheries Center in Miami 

 to the Northeast Fisheries Canter in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. 



Fishermen throughout the Northeast have lost all confidence in the Miami 

 scientists to objectively assess this resource. Fishermen are totally 

 frustrated by the repeated rejection of our earnest attempts to 

 participate in the scientific process and offer suggestions and evidence 

 that might help Miami scientists uncover problems that cause their 

 mathematical models to not reflect the condition of the resource. Our 

 frustrations and existing levels of hostility are no doubt compounded by 

 the pervasive arrogant attitude and public displays of contempt for the 

 fishermen's point of view demonstrated by Miami "point" scientists. 



It is a fact that the bulk of the U.S. bluefin fishery occurs north of New 

 York and it is entirely appropriate and logical for the scientific 

 assessment work to take place in the region where the fishery occurs. 



