provide authority for the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Man- 

 agement Council to establish a community development quota pro- 

 gram, similar to the one that is now successfully operating in Alas- 

 ka. There are four stated purposes of this program: 



First, to promote the economic well-being of coastal communities 

 through involvement in fishery resources; 



Second, enabling participating communities to diversify local 

 economies; 



Third, providing participating community residents with new op- 

 portunities to obtain stable, long-term employment; and 



Fourth, allowing participating community residents a fair and 

 reasonable opportunity to participate in fisheries which have been 

 closed to them because of the high capital investments that are 

 usually associated with meaningful participation. 



The question is, how does this program work in Alaska? First, 

 there is a percentage of a biologically-harvestable resource set 

 aside for communities in a specified geographic area; that is to say, 

 we set aside a certain type offish for a certain community. In this 

 case, the percentage is 7 percent of the total allowable catch of pol- 

 lock. For Hawaii, it would be another type of fish. Applications to 

 participate in the program are submitted on a biennial basis to the 

 Governor of Alaska, who evaluates the applications and makes rec- 

 ommendations on the size of the quota to be awarded. The rec- 

 ommendations are reviewed by the Northern Pacific Regional Fish- 

 ery Management Council authorized by the Magnuson Act, and are 

 then submitted for final approval by the Secretary of Commerce. 

 When approved, the participating communities have exclusive ac- 

 cess to tne designated quota of the particular fishery resource, both 

 in terms of harvesting and in terms of processing. 



It is this exclusive access to the harvesting and processing oppor- 

 tunities that have brought participating communities a means of 

 economic development in the areas where they have always fished. 

 Through this mechanism, these communities are developing the 

 economic capability to compete with large-scale fishing operations. 

 In Alaska, it is primarily Alaska Native fishing communities that 

 are participating in the program. 



These are some of the goals that these communities have identi- 

 fied for their participation in the program: 



First, they want to make funds available for the purchase of fish- 

 ing vessels, individual fishing quotas, and other business opportu- 

 nities; 



Second, they want to implement a community development plan 

 which would consist of employment training programs, grants for 

 processing and marketing, and extension services to halt the re- 

 gional loss of limited entry permits; 



Third, they want to establish a boat loan program for the pur- 

 chase and/or construction of vessels that are capable of participat- 

 ing in the multi-species fisheries; 



Fourth, they want to enable joint venture approaches to enhanc- 

 ing access to commercial fishery opportunities; 



Fifth, they want to establish training programs so that commu- 

 nity residents can learn traditional fishing practices, as well as 

 work at all levels of the fish industry, including harvesting and 

 processing, marketing and business management; 



