82 



3. Does the Commerce Department's revised plan address the concerns that the Council 

 has expressed regarding the Department's original allocation plan? If not, why not? 



In its letter to Secretary Brown, the Council raised several points of concern. One of these was 

 our projection that, during the initial fishery, the shore-based sector would harvest far less than 

 the 12,000 mt projected by the Department in its final rule. The Department's revised plan closed 

 the at-sea fishery so that 12,000 mt of the initial allocation would remain for shore-based 

 utilization. Thus, one of the Council's concerns was addressed. However, the total amount of 

 whiting available to the shoreside sector remains far below the amount recommended by the 

 Council and less than utilized in 1992. 



4. What will be the effect, in both the long and short term, of the Commerce Department's 

 allocation plan on small fishing operations and on-shore processing operations in the 

 northwest? 



It is difficult to assess the short-term impact for several reasons. First, with prices and markets 

 as depressed as they are this year, it is not clear how much whiting would have been harvested 

 and processed on shore even if no at-sea processors participated in the fishery. There is still a 

 degree of uncertainty regarding processing capacity in shoreside plants, even if prices and 

 markets were strong. The current processing capacity is about 80,000 to 130,000 mt. About 

 56,000 mt were processed on shore in 1992. In addition, the allowable harvest was reduced over 

 30 percent. Comparing the potential 42,000 mt shoreside harvest in 1993 to the 56,000 mt 

 harvest in 1992, there is a 25 percent reduction, which is less than the reduction in total 

 allowable harvest. Comparing the 42,000 mt harvest to what would have been available under 

 the Council's recommendation, there is a 44 to 60 percent reduction. 



Likewise, whiting fishing^ opportunities for small fishing operations will be substantially reduced. 

 This includes both vessels delivering to shore-based plants and those delivering to at-sea 

 processors. Deliveries by shore-based vessels will be reduced from 56,000 mt in 1992 to 42,000 

 mt in 1993, which is a 25 percent reduction. Deliveries by catcher vessels to at-sea processing 

 vessels may be reduced as much as 73 percent from 1992. 



Since the regulation is for 1993 only, there is no long-term impact beyond 1993. 



