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Statement of Joe Easley 

 Administrator OTC Page 4 



rule that the money collected is spent in the region where it is collected. Fifth, we believe that there 



should be a review committee made up of members form the commercial fisheries that are being charged 



the fee to monitor how they are being spent. 



7) By-catch. We believe that every fishery is different and you can not craft a legislative solution 

 that will fit all fisheries. If the Congress believes they need to address the issue in legislation we would 

 urge them to require all Councils to look at the issue in the fisheries they have management plans for. 

 AD fisheries have by-catch, having took part in several different fisheries in my lifetime, I make that 

 statement from experience. It is an area the needs to be addressed, and one of the first things that needs 

 to be done it to develop a definition for the term "by-catch," so that we are all talking about the same 

 thing. 



I do think the Act needs tightening up as to how the Secretary treats regulatory amendments to 

 management plans that allow for regulatory amendments. As it is at present, the Secretary can leave an 

 regulatory amendment laying on someone's desk as long as they like. The Secretary also does not have 

 to explain why he does not follow the Council's led on a regulatory amendment if the Secretary does not 

 want to. I would suggest the following language. 



(1) Amend 16 U.S.C. § 1802 (1993) to incorporate a new definition as follows: 



"(23) The term "regulatory amendment" means any amendment to a regulation submitted by a 

 Council not covered by Section 304(a)" 



Renumbering as appropriate subsequent definitions in this section. 



(2) Add to U.S.C. § 1854 (1993) the following new subsection (d), relettering subsections (d) through 



