64 



in the onshore plants, he said. 



But Dennis ]. Phelan, vice president of the Pacific Seafood 

 Processors Association, said the Japanese invested in onshore 

 processing in Alaska after a 1976 law effectively closed the area to 

 Japanese trawlers. 



"It was considered a great victory at the time," said Phelan. 

 "Now they (the trawler industry) are coming in, trying to Japan-bash 

 this thing, saying, 'How did this happen?"' 



He said the trawlers are squeezing out the 125 independent boats, 

 which took 1 million tons of pollock in 1987 but only 200,000 tons in 

 1990. 



The Commerce Department proposed the new rule last month following 

 a recommendation from its North Pacific Fishery Management Council. 

 The secretary of commerce must dedde by March 5 whether to accept 

 the-Tule. Robert Mosbacher is stepping down as commerce secretary 

 next week to head Bush's campaign, and Bush has nominated Barbara 

 Franklin to succeed him. 



Phelan said several prominent Republicans, including Bill Timmons, 

 Tom Korologos and Ed Rogers, are lobbying for the trawler industry. 



"This is hardly a situation where the poor, defenseless trawler 

 pwners are getting picked on by us and Charley Black," he said. 

 DE Updated: YY92 MMOl DDll 



End of Story Reached 



