48 



EDITORIALS 



CONFLICT OF INTEREST 



North Pacific fishery 

 council needs makeover 



^■■HE makeup of the federal council managing the Uruted 

 I States' richest fishery does not serve the public interest. 

 :-■ Congress should change it 



Consumers, taxpayers, and the resource deserve better than 

 fhe conflict of interest built into the North Pacific Fishery 

 Management Council by its statutory composition. 

 : The Fishery Conservation and Management Art of 1976 

 /created an 1 l-member council to manage the Alaska fishery in 

 the federal zone between 3 and aQO.miles offshore. It has 

 become a $l-billion-a-year fishery. 



Under the act pushed by the lale Sen. Warren G. Magnuson. 

 .7 of the 11 members must be from the fishing mdustry. There 

 .were fears that scientists (night set fishing limits too low. 



The council's acbons have resulted in millions of dollars in 

 benefits to some council members or their companies. A 

 detailed investigation by Duff Wilson in The Tunes last Sunday 

 showed the depth of that self-interest. 



The conflict of interest emerged as American fishermen 

 began batthng Amencan fishermen, rather than the Japanese. 

 for shares of the resource, which is rich vvith groundfish 

 , Conflict charges were raised when the council approved a 

 jjlan to shift at least J250 million of annual "fish product from a 

 ^eartlebased floatmg factory fleet to a largely Japanese-owned 

 processing mdustry on the Alaska shore 



, Washington could lose more than 1,000 jobs if the advisory 

 Council's proposal is accepted by Secretary of Commerce 

 Robert Mosbacher. It could mean higher pirices for consumers 

 This was more than an Alaska vs Washington fight. At least 

 tour of those who voted stood to gain or lose money personally 



The reauirement that a majonty of the council represent the 

 fishing industry is out of the hands of the governors of 

 Washington and Alaska, who nominate, or the secretary of 

 commerce, who appoints members 



Washington's delegation should begin pushing to change 

 the council makeup. Decision-makmg belongs with those who 

 are knowledgeable m fishenes but doni stand to gain 

 finanaally. 11 Magnuson were alive, he'd undoubtedly agree 

 with thai 



fScatlle Times ediloriai-stnff wnicrs are Mindy Camei 

 Dicfeie. Don Hannula. Richard Larsen. Terry Tang. Jan 

 and Don Willcomson ; 



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