14 



If you get these longline guys coming over here, I think they are 

 going to destroy the island of Hawaii because these guys use the 

 fongline from Molokai to Oahu and they're catching everything. I 

 think they've got to say way out, 200 or 300 miles out and leave 

 a portion for the commercial fisherman. 



I want to thank Senators Inouve and Akaka for letting me ex- 

 press my feelings about fishing. Aloha kakou. Thank you. 



[Prepared statement of Mr. Mawae appears in appendix.] 



Senator Inouye. I thank you very much, Mr. Mawae. 



I should point out before we proceed with questions, that the 

 measure before us, the amendments to the Magnuson Act could be 

 a source of much controversy. It would put an extra burden upon 

 the councils. We do not, for example, designate Native Hawaiians 

 or Samoans. We give the council the authority to designate your 

 geographical areas. In Alaska, when certain geographical areas are 

 designated, it may be that most of the people living in that geo- 

 graphical are Alaska Natives. So without designating Alaska Na- 

 tives, by specifying a geographical area, one avoids constitutional 

 questions. 



Second, it requires the council, in its determination of grants to 

 take into consideration the experience in traditional fishing prac- 

 tices. That would theoretically almost limit grants to the natives of 

 that area. 



It will not be an easy decision because in Alaska, for example, 

 notwithstanding the success of the community development quota 

 program, sports fishermen in Alaska and the Pacific northwest 

 area of the United States, are opposed to that program. They think 

 they are being deprived even though the fish that the council se- 

 lected there is a very populous fish. There are a lot of pollock there. 

 Even at that, they have opposed it. So it is not a cut and dried ex- 

 ercise, I should like to point out to you. This is the first step in the 

 process. 



Some would ask why wasn't salmon selected for the program in 

 Alaska. There are a lot of salmon there; it is a traditional nsh, but 

 the council has to take into consideration the population of the re- 

 source, the availability of the resource, the politics involved, the 

 economies involved. It is not an easy decision. If this bill becomes 

 law of the land, the council will first face the problem of geographi- 

 cally designating an area. There are certain places in the State of 

 Hawaii that come to mind immediately. 



Having said that, it would then provide the affected population 

 of Hawaii an extraordinary challenge because the people of one 

 community alone cannot carryout this project, so it might take the 

 efforts of several communities designated by the council to work to- 

 gether where grants will make a difference. So this will be an ex- 

 traordinary challenge and will require much patience and much 

 wisdom. 



I do not know what type of fish would qualify as a resource. If 

 we say aku, I am certain the aku fishing industry will suddenly 

 take out their spears. So whatever it is, I want you to know that 

 as authors of this measure, we will do everything to implement 

 this. We want the U.S. Government to recognize, as Ms. Romero, 

 the High Chief and the Governor said, these waters were theirs be- 

 cause you were there first, you used it first, you sustained yourself 



