46 



had a situation last year in Pacific whiting, regardless of how you 

 feel on the issue, where the final decision was made the 16th hour 

 of the first day of the fishing season, after approximately one year 

 of discussion within the council, and some consideration by the 

 Federal oversight. So we would like to have some timeliness and 

 some efficiency, 60 days, for example, as in plan amendments for 

 regulatory amendments as well. 



We would also like to see a greater consultive role, the Federal 

 Government would involve itself with the councils. We had a situa- 

 tion in Pacific whiting, again this year, where the Federal over- 

 sight administrations received the Pacific whiting recommendation 

 in December. In February the regional director of NMFS made a 

 determination. That was overturned one month later by NO A A, 

 which was overturned eventually on the 16th hour again of that 

 opening day by the Commerce Department. With no consultation 

 whatsoever with the Pacific Fishery Management Council, which, 

 by the way, was meeting the week before the final decision in Port- 

 land and would have been able to at least offer some advice and 

 consent. 



So the second part of this amendment really speaks to that issue 

 of trying to give the councils an opportunity to receive input from 

 the Federal oversight agencies and provide in a sense some obliga- 

 tion on the part of those agencies to listen to what the council has 

 to say and have the council have an opportunity to explain its deci- 

 sions in an open forum. 



There was a lot of discussion on the Oregon coast and certainly 

 in this State this last spring, decisions that were not openly arrived 

 at, decisions that were absolutely contrary to the council's decision. 



I will close with that and try to save you a little bit of time here 

 today and again just offer that these are recommendations not only 

 of the coast and of the coastal communities but of the legislature of 

 the State of Oregon. 



I thank you all very much. It is a pleasure to see all of you here. 



[The statement of Mr. Rasmussen may be found at end of hear- 

 ing.] 



Mr. Manton. Thank you, Mr. Rasmussen for saving us a little 

 time. We didn't dim the lights because you were testifying. I just 

 wanted you to know that. 



Our next witness, Mr. Ron Jensen. 



STATEMENT OF RON JENSEN, DIRECTOR, TYSON FOODS, INC. 



Mr. Jensen. Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, I am Ron 

 Jensen, Director of Tyson Foods. And you probably wonder why a 

 chicken man is up here. 



Well, our company, Tyson, bought Arctic Alaska Fisheries last 

 October, which is the largest at-sea processing company in the 

 United States for fish products. I am past President of Pan Alaska 

 Fisheries, which was the largest king crab producer in Alaska and 

 past President of Bumblebee Seafood, which also was one of the 

 largest salmon canners in Alaska. So I wear a lot of hats, both 

 shore-side and offshore. 



I have been in this business 40 years. I have seen a lot of 

 changes, some for the good and some for the bad. One of the things 



