Finally and most troubling, the proposed regulations would also 

 set a precedent for industry to pay for government's writing of en- 

 vironmental assessments and environmental impact statements. 

 Such policy would have ramifications beyond MMPA and should be 

 carefully considered before being implemented. 



So I look forward, Mr. Chairman, to the many comments and 

 suggestions from the witnesses. Hopefully, we can work together on 

 a final amicable agreement to these and other issues we will surely 

 address during this hearing. 



May I ask unanimous consent that the statements of Mr. Fields 

 and Ms. Bentley be placed in the record, Mr. Chairman, before I 

 yield to the rank member. That is my prerogative. 



[Statement of Mr. Fields follows:] 



Statement of Hon. Jack Fields, a U.S. Representative from Texas, and 

 Ranking Minority Member, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 



Mr. Chairman, the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) was enacted in 1972 

 for the purpose of ensuring that marine mammals are maintained at, or in some 

 cases restored to, healthy population levels. 



The MMPA governs a variety of subjects, including public display, scientific re- 

 search, subsistence use of marine mammals, and the incidental take of marine 

 mammals during commercial fishing operations. The hearing this morning will focus 

 on the first three issues. 



The provisions related to commercial fishing were the subject of two hearings be- 

 fore the Subcommittee last year. Those hearings were time-sensitive because a 5- 

 year exemption from the prohibition on taking marine mammals, which Congress 

 had afforded to the commercial fishing industry, was set to expire. The industry 

 faced a serious crisis back in 1988, and Congress had to find a way to keep them 

 in business while still maintaining the goals of the MMPA. During this 5-year pe- 

 riod, the National Marine Fisheries Service collected data on interactions between 

 commercial fisheries and marine mammals, determined the status of marine mam- 

 mal stocks, and tried to develop a permanent regime governing this specific inter- 

 action. 



With the adoption of H.R. 3049 last year, we extended the exemption to April 1, 

 1994, to give the fishing industry and the environmental community time to work 

 out their differences. While this issue has proven to be rather difficult, I understand 

 that both groups are working diligently to resolve the issues in contention. 



Today's nearing will concentrate on other important aspects of the MMPA — public 

 display, scientific research, importation of marine mammal products, and subsist- 

 ence use. We will have the opportunity to examine whether the administrative proc- 

 ess can be streamlined to better serve the public display industry without harming 

 marine mammals. We will explore whether existing cooperative management agree- 

 ments have been successful and whether new agreements should be encouraged and 

 funded. We will look at whether the current permit program administered by the 

 National Marine Fisheries Service is an obstacle to research as some scientists have 

 alleged. We will also analyze the Administration's policies governing the take and 

 display of non-depleted marine mammals for educational or conservation programs. 



Finally, Mr. Chairman, the largest group of consumptive users of marine mam- 

 mals in the United States are Congressman Young's constituents. Their use of ma- 

 rine mammals for food, clothing, shelter, handicrafts, and cultural purposes pre- 

 dates the European settlement of Alaska and continues to this day. I hope that we 

 will listen carefully to the concerns and needs presented by the Alaskan natives 

 today, and I pledge my support to the Congressman for all Alaska to work with the 

 Chairman in trying to resolve this issue. 



With that, Mr. Chairman, I welcome our witnesses and look forward to the testi- 

 mony they will present. Thank you. 



[Statement of Ms. Bentley follows:] 



Statement of Hon. Helen Delich Bentley, a U.S. Representative from 



Maryland 



Good morning, Mr. Chairman. On behalf of the National Aquarium in Baltimore 

 and other marine mammal parks and aquariums, I would like to thank you for hold- 



