14 



I appreciate the support of the administration, and the fact that 

 we cannot all be in 12 places at one time forever does not indicate 

 any diminution of intensity of my feelings. 



Thank you. I apologize for the interruption. 



Mr. Manton. Thank you. I would like to recognize the Ranking 

 Member of the subcommittee, Mr. Young of Alaska. 



STATEMENT OF HON. DON YOUNG, A U.S. REPRESENTATIVE 



FROM ALASKA 



Mr. Young. This is an issue I think is crucial. The Donut Hole 

 has been a sorry sight for many, many years. It has hurt our fish- 

 eries, hurt the marine life. 



I believe we can improve upon the agreement already reached, 

 and we encourage the State Department to do so. I thank you for 

 having this hearing today. 



As the Chairman has mentioned, unfortunately, we cannot be 12 

 places at one time, and I am late for my own bill. Thank you for 

 holding this hearing. 



Statement of Hon. Don Young, a U.S. Representative from Alaska 



Mr. Chairman, I am pleased that we are considering these issues regarding strad- 

 dling stocks. This topic, in particular, is important to the State of Alaska. 



International management of straddling stocks will be the only means to conserve 

 them. Although multilateral agreements may impose short-term restrictions on our 

 fishermen, their long-term benefits are certain. Without effective management prac- 

 tices, we may be witnessing the commercial extinction of extremely valuable fisher- 

 ies like the Aleutian Basin pollock stock. 



While the United States may manage fisheries within its own Exclusive Economic 

 Zone, it has no power to enforce its laws in high sea areas without some type of 

 international agreement. Absence of an agreement has serious consequences. 



Let me describe the situation. The United States once had a very valuable Aleu- 

 tian Basin pollock fishery close to Alaska. Other fishermen, who could no longer 

 fish in U.S. waters after the passage of the Magnuson Act, took their boats outside 

 the U.S. boundary and took almost all the fish that crossed that line into interna- 

 tional waters. Any conservation effort provided by the United States had no benefi- 

 cial result when the fish on the other side could be taken in a giant free-for-all by 

 foreign fishermen who have thought of these stocks as a blue-light special. These 

 fishermen have taken so much that a once million-ton fishery provided less than 

 10,000 tons last year. The overharvesting has meant not only fewer fish for foreign 

 fishermen, but has resulted in fewer fish for American fishermen who have con- 

 served the resource in U.S. waters. 



The absence of a long-term solution for the Aleutian Basin pollock imposes a 

 death sentence on the fishery. Foreign nations will continue their overharvesting 

 until they pull out the last commercially viable fish. At that point, they may move 

 on to another source of readily available protein. 



The greatest tragedy of this situation is that it could be avoided. Establishing 

 long-term, international agreements may save the Aleutian Basin pollock from this 

 picture of possible doom. 



H.Con.Res. 135 expresses Congressional intent to take further steps to establish 

 multilateral agreements for the living marine resources in the Donut Hole. It may 

 be one of the least controversial and most important resolutions of the Subcommit- 

 tee this session. Its passage will assist our U.S. negotiators in their efforts to provide 

 for conservation measures for the Aleutian Basin pollock stock. I applaud their hard 

 work, and I urge your support for this resolution. 



Mr. Manton. The Chair recognizes our last panelist, Mr. Matt 

 Gianni, International Campaign, Greenpeace, USA. 



