375 



the fish, no one has ownership in them and they are over-exploited. 

 That is a common theme that you see related to fishing worldwide. 

 Now the billion dollars was spent, not because somebody had 

 great scientific data at the time those decisions were made. Agen- 

 cies and tribes came before the Power Council and said the fish 

 cannot wait, we cannot wait for the scientific information, we need 

 to err on the side of the fish. And so we did. But the fish were 

 worse off after that 10-year experiment than they were before. 

 There are two possible answers for that — either the flows do not 

 help or somebody went fishing. We beUeve the record is clear, the 

 fishing wiped out the benefits provided by the additional flows in 

 the 1980s. 



We are concerned that this pattern is repeating itself this year. 

 We have seen projections that the harvest levels that have been 

 talked about would result in fewer spawners getting back to the 

 spawning grounds than last year. This is the tragedy of the Cbliim- 

 bia — ^not that we spent the money, but that we did not get anything 

 for it. 



We beUeve change will come, but the transition will be hard. 

 What we are looking at is the current situation that is not working 

 for anyonec It is not working for the farmer, the utiUty worker, the 

 elderly or these other people I have mentioned, but it is also not 

 working for the harvesters. They are catching fewer fish and being 

 paid less for it. What we need is leadership that would move us to- 

 ward a sustainable economy with sustainable fish nins. We beUeve 

 that a sustainable fiiture is based on hydropower. It is a clean, re- 

 newable resoTirce that can produce power indefinitely without pro- 

 ducing toxic wastes or air pollution. It will be the foundation of 

 that society. 



As for fishing, we would encourage sport fishing. It is biologically 

 sound because streams with weak stocks c£in be closed and those 

 with strong stocks can be fished. The Deschutes and the Mid-Co- 

 lumbia steelhead streams are examples of this. Wild fish with 

 adipose fins return to the water; those without are hatchery fish 

 and can be kept. 



Moreover the sports fishing has more economic return than com- 

 mercial fishing, and the benefits can be shared not just with the 

 coastal commimities, but with Salmon, Idaho and Imnaha, Oregon, 

 as well. 



Second, we should honor our legal and moral commitments to 

 Native Americans, without qualification. 



Third, commercial harvest, if it is going to continue, has to be re- 

 formed, has to move away from gill nets and other forms of non- 

 discriminatory catch. By moving to Uve catches or to geographic 

 areas that have strong stocks but not the weak stocks. If they 

 choose not to make those changes, I beUeve that fiiture generations 

 wiU overwhelm them because of changing pubUc attitudes. 



If we make these changes, we beUeve we can have a sustainable 

 society. 

 Thank you for the opportimity to testify. 

 Mr. DeFazio. Mr. Baker. 

 [Prepared statement of Mr. Godard foUows:] 



