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property and ensure and enhance sustainable economic 

 opportunities . 



I would like to focus my remarks on our environmental stewardship 

 programs which will be of greatest interest to Members 

 of the Subcommittee. 



The Plan highlights the importance of environmental stewardship 

 through the building of sustainable fisheries, recovering 

 protected species, improving the health of coastal ecosystems, 

 and modernizing navigation and positioning services. 



BUILD SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES 



The problems facing the multibillion dollar commercial fishing 

 industry and tens of millions of marine anglers are increasingly 

 highlighted in the national press. Uncontrolled participation, 

 overfishing, and overcapitalization have resulted in the 

 overutilization of 43 percent of the Nation's assessed fisheries 

 resources. Just recently, for example, the National Marine 

 Fisheries Service (NMFS) reported a 40 percent decline in the 

 first six months of this year in Maine cod landings. The cause 

 is well-known: open access fisheries resulting in 

 overcapitalization exemplified by a race for fish, and often 

 overfishing. Unfortunately, the financially-stressed fishing 



