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BLUE WATER FISHERMEN^ 



ASSOCIATION 



1S2S WILSON BLVD. (SUITE 500) 



ARLINGTON. VA 22209 



TEL. (703) 524-8884 FAX (703) 524-4619 



TESTIMONY OF 



Richard E. Gutting, Jr. 

 Blue Water •Fishermen's Association 



BEFORE THE 



SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT 

 AND NATURAL RESOURCES 



April 20, 1993 



Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee: 



My name is Richard E. Gutting, Jr. and I represent the Blue 

 Water Fishermen's Association. 



Our association appreciates this opportunity to testify on 

 the proposed program to reduce the incidental take of marine 

 mammals by commercial fishermen. 



We are concerned that the new regime proposed by the 

 National Marine Fisheries Service is based upon a faulty 

 understanding of commercial fisheries, and misses the real needs 

 of both marine mammals and commercial fishermen. Unless changed 

 by this Subcommittee we fear that this proposal would waste 

 government and industry effort and funds, and result in the 

 unnecessary regulation of fishermen. 



The Blue Water Fishermen's Association represents the 

 owners, operators and crews of active vessels most of which use 

 longline gear which harvest swordfish, tuna and other pelagic 

 species in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean as well as 

 the many other small companies on shore who depend upon these 

 harvests, including dealers, distributors and suppliers. Last 



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