164 



NEAL COENEN, MARINE PRDGAM MANAGER 



June 4, 1993 



Representative Mike Kopetski 

 House of Representatives 

 218 Cannon Office Bide. 

 Washington, DC 20515 



Representative Ron Wyden 

 House of Representatives 

 1111 Longworth House Office Bldg. 

 Washington, DC 20515 



Dear Congressmen: 



When Oregon Governor Barbara Roberts wrote to the Chairman of the 

 Pacific Fishery Management Council Phil Anderson before the November 

 Council meeting, the policy of the State of Oregon and the Department of 

 Fish and Wildlife was clearly articulated. The Council's preferred alternative 

 was supported as the means to prevent preemption by a mobile fleet and 

 provide economic stability and predictability for coastal communities. 



Following Secretary Brown's reversal of the Council's decisions on whiting 

 first, and subsequently on salmon the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission 

 communicated directly with Secretary Brown vigorously protesting that 

 decision. The Commission's gravest concern was over the Secretary's 

 undermining of the integrity of the Council fishery management process. 



That said it is important that we begin to look ahead to the process for 

 needed allocations for 1994 and future years. In doing so I here attempt to 

 provide information which will help establish perspective. 



Because of Secretary Brown's decision the pacific coast groundfish fishery in 

 general and the whiting fishery in particular, with our offshore/onshore 

 allocation issue, can no longer be considered in isolation. 



Attached are a series of pie charts which identify and compare the total 

 groundfish resource available in Alaska and the west coast and how it has 

 Been allocated offshore/onshore. It is clear that the combined resource is of 

 tremendous size, some 2,626,021 mt. Alaska has 87% of this resource. 

 Whiting is about 5% of the total, but represents a full 45% of the west coast 

 resource. The combined 1993 offshore allocation was about 789,912 mt or 

 30% of the total resource. Secretary Brown's reversal of the Council's 

 whiting allocation resulted in a mere 8% increase for offshore interests but 

 required pacific coast shoreside interests to forfeit 60% of what had been 

 allocated to them. 



Tjnegon 



DEPARTMENT OF 



MARINE REGION 



M, 



■Dn 



ne Stit 

 Binldins >t^ 

 Newpiirl, OK 471^3 

 (503)H67-474I 

 FAX {.S03) 867-0311 



