18 



Mr. Blum. Well, it's difficult. We attended all of the council ses- 

 sions and provided the appropriate testimony, Mr. Chairman, 

 throughout that process, yes. 



Mr. KoPETSKi. So, I'm not sure I understand the purpose of your 

 testimony. The problem you have with the council is that you 

 don't' have a vote on the council? 



Mr. Blum. Mr. Chairman, among the problems with the councils 

 is there are not enough votes to represent everybody. That was the 

 thrust of our testimony. There isn't a consumer — and my point 

 being that 



Mr. KoPETSKL Is there onshore representation? 



Mr. Blum. Yes; there is. 



Mr. KoPETSKL Is there a processor? 



Mr. Blum. Correct. 



Mr. KoPETSKL Is there onshore fishing? 



Mr. Easley. No; processors. Lievsic represents some trawlers 



Mr. Blum. I apologize. 



Mr. Easley. He's based in California. 



Mr. KoPETSKL So you guys, in terms of onshore, offshore, you 

 have the same status? 



Mr. Blum. At this time, yes; on this council. 



Mr. KoPETSKi, But you were able to give testimony. You just 

 want a vote? 



Mr. Blum. No; we want the council system to work, and we 

 think right now, the council system is not working because it is not 

 structured to work, and it puts it in the hands of the Secretary to 

 have to offer the type of resolution the Secretary did in this par- 

 ticular issue. One of the solutions might be a vote, but if you give 

 us a vote, then there are going to be 15 other groups out there or 

 gear types of users of the resource that don't have a vote. So, the 

 system needs to be worked on from the context of what its present 

 apparent mission is, and that is allocation between U.S. fishers. 



Mr. KoPETSKi. If the council would have come out with the plan 

 that the Secretary announced and promulgated, would you have 

 been satisfied with the council's action? 



Mr. Blum. If the council had issued 



Mr. KoPETSKL Did what the Secretary did? 



Mr. Blum. Certainly, we would have been satisfied with that. I 

 don't find that particularly humorous. The reality is that the coun- 

 cil didn't pay attention to the record. 



Mr. KoPETSKi. No; then you'd say that the council works? 



Mr. Blum. No; I would not. The council system has been out- 

 grown, if you will, by the industry. We think the council system 

 needs to be looked at, and I know there's disagreement, and I see 

 Joe shaking his head appropriately. There's disagreement on that, 

 but we believe the council system, for a number of reasons, wheth- 

 er it be this decision or decisions that were made in Alaska, are not 

 meeting the allocated requirements because you have voting on the 

 councils, in some instances, people who are in conflict within the 

 industry. In other instances, you don't have broad enough repre- 

 sentation of the various affected groups. We think that the council 

 system, as a part of the Magnuson reauthorization, needs to be 

 looked at, and that the role of the Secretary, and this will also 

 bring chuckles, I'm sure, but the role of the Secretary, rather than 



