81 



not discuss his vote on the I/O issue with anyone else. IILGGE 

 said there was no attcr.pt by anyone at NPTMC to sway his vote one 

 way or another. 



IIEGGE claimed that the final vote by NPFMC did not really affect 

 him. His three boats catch from 20,000 to 30,000 pounds of fish 

 in the area affected by the I/O amendment, while his boats catch 

 about 1,500,000 pounds of fish outside this area, in the Bering 

 Sea. He said the amount of fish he catches in the Gulf of Alaska 

 does not represent much of his total catch and, therefore, the 

 I/O decision does not really affect him. HEGGE said he will not 

 change his operation if the measure is approved by the Secretary 

 of Commerce; he will continue to fish mostly in the Bering Sea. 



HEGGE said he was not required to abstain from the I/O vote just 

 because he owned three fishing vessels. He once abstained from a 

 vote on an education issue for longliner boats, and was severely 

 criticized by the longliner industry who thought he. had "let then 

 down." HEGGE believed that he has done nothing unethiral by 

 participating in NPFMC discussions and voting on important issues 

 since he declared his interests and reminded the Council during 

 meetings that he has a personal interest in the matters being 

 discussed. He was responsible for exercising his judgment to 

 vote for the best interests of all parties involved, including 

 voting logically to best preserve fisheries resources. 



Records maintained by the Corporations Sections, Department of 

 Commerce & Economic Development, State of Alaska, Juneau, Alaska, 

 corroborated HEGGE's interests in Sea Source, Inc. and the Sitka 

 Fishing Co., as reported on his financial disclosure statements. 

 A cross reference check for the names of RONALD E. HEGGE and 

 flB^BBBH^H^Krevealed no business interests in Alaska other 

 than these two companies. T here were also no corporate listings 

 for 



We reviewed National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) records on 

 boats of 125 feet in length or less that are engaged in the 

 groundfish business. The 1991 list encompasses 95 boats, 

 including the three boats owned by HEGGE.- The NMFS list did not 

 contain any other boats owned by HEGGE. 



We reviewed the transcripts cf the meetings at which the Council 

 decided to include boats of 125 feet or less in the "inshore" 

 definition. HEGGE did tell the Council that he owned vessels 

 that would be affected by the decision. The transcripts also 

 show that it was Larry Cotter, anothef voting member, who 

 introduced the 125 foot definition, not HEGGE. HEGGE thought the 

 Council should adopt a lir.it en the amount of fish caught, but he 

 went with the majority on the 125 foot definition when it came up 

 for a vote. 



