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I. INTRODUCTION 



Thank you for this opportunity to present testimony on 

 the reauthorization of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. My 

 name is Ilarion Merculieff and I am the Manager for the City 

 of St. Paul in Alaska's Pribilof Islands, as well as 

 coordinator for the Bering Sea Coalition. 



St. Paul Island is one of the Pribilof Islands located in 

 the eastern Bering Sea. It is the home for approximately 750 

 residents, most of whom are Aleuts. Since time immemorial, 

 Aleuts have depended upon the bounty of the sea for their 

 sustenance, livelihood, and culture. As a result of its 

 location, St. Paul Island is at the center of one of the 

 world's most biologically productive marine environments. 

 This region is the home for many species of marine mammals, 

 sea birds, and commercially valuable fish and shellfish. 

 These biological resources are the foundation of the 

 subsistence economy and culture of the residents of the 

 Pribilof Islands and the Bering Sea coastal region. They are 

 also the foundation of a commercial fishery that contributes 

 at least ten percent of the world's fishery production. These 

 fisheries are essential to the future of St. Paul and many 

 other Bering Sea coastal communities. The future economic 

 growth and stability of St. Paul, like many other Bering Sea 



