12 



able that Samoans opted not to participate actively in the longline 

 and purse seine fisheries a stereotype developed that few Samoans 

 were interested in offshore fishing. The evidence, however, shows 

 that this stereotype is not true. It also shows important historical 

 and cultural continuity in offshore fishing for management species 

 by American Samoans. There is also a continuing cultural, social, 

 and religious framework based on the capture and distribution of 

 numerous management species. 



Natural Regulation and matai and tautai control of the near- 

 shore and offshore fishery has been an appropriate strategy 

 throughout most of American Samoa's history because domestic 

 pressure on the stocks has never been high enough to stress the 

 stocks close to overfishing. Allowing outsider and foreign fishing 

 would require that native Samoans keep close tabs on the catch 

 and also have the ability to impose fees, as proposed in some 

 amendments to the Magnuson act currently not directly before this 

 committee. 



Current fishing by Samoans has luckily not resulted in any sig- 

 nificant problems with stock decline due to domestic fishing. But 

 it is obvious, from speaking to my fellow Samoans, that they are 

 wary about overexploitation and want to keep fish stocks healthy, 

 both through our lifetimes and our children's lifetimes. 



Samoans have had a long and intimate history with the ocean 

 and its fish. This attitude must be kept and actively supported by 

 the U.S. Government. This amendment should be included in the 

 Magnuson Act to allow Samoans the same indigenous rights main- 

 land Indians have. Samoans should be granted preferential rights 

 and encouraged to maintain our customs and traditions. Anything 

 less than this could be a cultural calamity for us. 



Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



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



Senator Inouye. Thank you very much, High Chief. 



May I now call upon April K. Romero. 



STATEMENT OF APRIL K. ROMERO, MID-PACIFIC HAWAII 

 FISHERY, INC., HILO, HI 



Ms. Romero. Good morning, Senators. Thank you for the oppor- 

 tunity to come before you and present testimony. 



I ask you today what is the essence of being Hawaiian for the 

 ocean runs through the very fabric of our lives. If you take the Ha- 

 waiian away from the ocean and he is disoriented. He doesn't know 

 where he is; he's detached without dignity and purpose. Yet, sys- 

 tematically over the course of history, the ocean and its resources 

 has been usurped from the Hawaiian, inch by inch, foot by foot, 

 mile by mile. Everyone else has control except the Hawaiian. He 

 has to stand in line for permission to go fishing; he has no mooring 

 set aside for him in the State of Hawaii; he has to file this and file 

 that, notify this agency and that coordinator, answer to NOAA, 

 NMFS, DLNR, DOT — the list is very long. He has no consideration, 

 no preference; he is unrecognized. 



There was an old Hawaiian longline fisherman in Hilo who re- 

 cently passed away. He had a little sampan, set traditional Japa- 

 nese ropegear, had no radio, had no GPS, had no electronics. He 



