17 



We strongly urge Congress and this Committee to act expedi- 

 tiously to reauthorize a strong MMPA which considers our con- 

 cerns and is in keeping with the original Act and the wishes of the 

 American people. 



Thank you once again for this opportunity to address the Com- 

 mittee. We would be happy to offer any assistance in your efforts 

 to authorize this important legislation on a timely basis. 



Mr. Studds. Thank you very much. 



[The statement of Ms. Young can be found at the end of the 

 hearing.] 



Mr. Studds. Finally, Mr. Jeff Kaelin of the Maine Sardine Coun- 

 cil. 



STATEMENT OF JEFF KAELIN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MAINE 

 SARDINE COUNCIL, BREWER, MAINE 



Mr. Kaelin. Thank you. Members of the Committee, Mr. Young, 

 I appreciate the opportunity to be here today with you to discuss 

 the reauthorization of the MMPA. 



I am Jeff Kaelin. I am the Executive Director of the Maine Sar- 

 dine Council. I am also here today as Government Relations Coor- 

 dinator for the Maine Aquaculture Association. 



In addition to these responsibilities, I am also the President of 

 the Associated Fisheries of Maine. All of the groups that I repre- 

 sent and work with want to be part of a long-term MMPA regime 

 that ensures both the viability of marine mammal stocks and com- 

 mercial fisheries in our region. There are very few significant in- 

 terractions between Maine's commercial fisheries and Gulf of 

 Maine marine mammal stocks. 



The draft bill which you have asked me to comment on combines 

 elements of the NMFS proposed regime and the primary negotiat- 

 ed proposal which I will call the critical stock regime. A recogni- 

 tion of the importance of the issues raised in the second negotiated 

 proposal concerning "The Intentional Lethal Taking of Pinnipeds" 

 is also reflected in the Committee's bill. 



I will try to direct a few specific brief comments to portions of 

 the draft bill and explain how those comments relate to the goals 

 of the groups I have worked with over the last several months in 

 this process. 



The Committee's proposal states that its immediate goal is that 

 the incidental kill or serious injury of marine mammals permitted 

 in the course of commercial fishing operations be reduced to insig- 

 nificant levels approaching zero. 



This same goal is also established for regional conservation 

 teams which would be authorized by the draft bill. 



We asked the Committee to adopt the critical stock proposal's 

 language calling for the reduction of takes to insignificant levels 

 approaching a zero mortality and serious injury rate. There is a big 

 difference between those two definitions. This may be a technical 

 oversight. We hope that it is. 



The Committee's draft bill would also establish a Scientific 

 Working Group which would be required to develop preliminary 

 stock abundance estimates which one would expect to be developed 

 by the National Marine Fisheries Service utilizing information 



