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which in turn leads to the health of the fishing industry. One 

 of the keys to this is adequate data, which is unfortunately 

 sorely lacking for many fisheries. 



The North Pacific Council now has in place the most compre- 

 hensive observer program in the country, and it is generating 

 enormous quantities of data - so much, in fact, that NMFS hasn't 

 yet had the staff time to analyze much of it. The industry has 

 volunteered to assess ourselves a mandatory fee to pay for the 

 costs of this program, including data analysis. Last year 

 Congress amended the Magnuson Act to allow a levy of up to two 

 percent of ex-vessel value to fund the program. We agreed to 

 this in hopes that the information obtained will ensure better 

 fisheries management. 



In the jurisdiction of the Pacific Council, floating proc- 

 essors have voluntarily instituted one hundred percent observer 

 coverage, and some of the shorebased processors and the boats 

 that deliver fish to them have also taken on observers. This is 

 an extremely expensive program, however, and one should not 

 underestimate the impact these self-imposed costs have on the 

 small businesses that make up the bulk of the fishing industry. 



In fact, we think that illustrates the primary dilemma we 

 face in resolving conservation concerns: all management measures 

 impose a cost on fishermen that can be the final straw for many 

 of the operations that are already struggling to get by. All 

 around the coast the fishing industry is overcapitalized. New 

 technology has given fishermen the ability to catch more fish 

 than they used to, and the size of the fleet has expanded to the 

 point where it's difficult for any one operation to catch enough 

 to earn a profit - even when fish stocks are abundant. The 

 industry is now in a precarious position; imposition of further 

 taxes and fees increases the burden; poorly planned conservation 

 measures could cost this country its fishing industry. 



American High Seas Fisheries Association has always been a 

 strong advocate for conservative management of our fisheries. 

 For us, fishing isn't just a business venture - it's a way of 

 life, and we want our children to have the same opportunities we 



