80 



RONALD E. HFGGC 



Allegations 



By a 9 to 2 vote, the NPFMC decided at its June 1991 nesting to 

 allocate the total groundfish catch. This decision favored 

 inshore interests, allocating to then 35 percent of the 

 groundfish catch in the Gulf of Alaska during the first year of e 

 three-year plan. We examined an allegation that Council member 

 RONALD E. HEGGE personally benefitted when he voted on the I/O 

 issue. The NPFMC defined "inshore" facilities to include all 

 commercial fishing vessels of less than 125 feet in length, 

 leaving longer boats in the "offshore" category. It was alleged 

 that HEGGE voted in favor of this measure, which was tailor-made 

 for three boats he owned. 



Findings 



HEGGE disclosed in financial disclosure statements filed with the 

 NPFMC that he has a financial ownership in three commercial 

 fishing vessels described as freezer/longliners (boats that use 

 hook and line gear) . Those vessels include two 78 foot freezer 

 longliners and one 56 foot longline-crab vessel. He also 

 reported interests in two businesses, Sea Source, and Sitka 

 Fishing Co., and three fishing vessels named Rebecca B. , Melissa 

 Beth , and Michelle Ann . 



HEGGE told the reporting agent that he and his wife, KATHLEEN 

 HEGGE, owned 95 percent of the 78 foot Rebecca B . and their son, 

 MATTHEW HEGGE owned the remaining 5 percent. The disclosure 

 statement indicated that RONALD and KATHLEEN HEGGE owned 50 

 percent of the 78 foot Melissa Beth , while HAROLD and MIG 

 THOMPSON owned the other 50 percent. RONALD and KATHIE HEGGE own 

 51 percent of the 56 foot Michelle Ann , and MATTHEW HEGGE owns 

 the remaining 49 percent. 



HEGGE has a family owned business called the Sitka Fishing 

 Company. The Sitka Fishing Company administers the federally 

 req^jired insurance needs for his vessels, providing insurance at 

 a lower cost than buying insurance from other companies. HEGGE 

 also has a fishing business called Sea Source, Inc., which 

 manages the three fanily-owned fishing boats and pays the 

 skippers and crews. HEGGE operates both businesses from his 

 residence in Anchorage, Alaska. 



HEGGE did vote in favor of allocating groundfish. But he stated 

 that he made it plain during the deliberations on the I/O issue 

 that he owned interests in longliner boats, and that he has done 

 so at other NPFMC meetings. Contrary to allegations, he said he 

 did not attend any meetings to discuss the I/O issue in advance 

 of Council deliberat:ons (there were no such meetings) and did 



