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The Oregon Department of Agricultiire strongly supports the 

 objectives of the Pacific Fishery Management Council, which include: 

 stretching the season as long as possible, extracting the maximum value 

 from the fish, encouraging development of new technology and 

 supporting those who are doing so, fostering economic development in 

 coastal communities and giving priority allocation to vessels that fish for 

 shore plants. Further, the Department supports the Council's 

 fi:amework allocation plan that would have established a whiting 

 allocation based on availabihty-in years of abundance, the factory 

 trawlers would get more fish, while shore-based fisheries would receive 

 requisite amoTints for their needs; in years of low yields, shoreside would 

 receive priority. 



In conclusion, let me say that I am deeply disturbed that the U.S. 

 Department of Commerce ignored the recommendations of the Pacific 

 Fishery Management Council. I am troubled that the Department of 

 Commerce is giving priority of whiting allocation to mobile factory 

 trawlers over local and regional fishing interests. I am frustrated, as are 

 many local communities and businesses, regarding tiie amount of time 

 and investment we have devoted to the development of this industry in 

 Oregon, only to have it jeopardized by decisions which disregard these 

 efforts. 



