51 



Testimony of Congressman Robert A. Underwood 



Joint Hearing of the Senate Commerce 



and Indian Affairs Committees 



June 1, 1995 



od 



Mr. Chairman: 



Thank you for allowing me to submit this statement for the record to the Senate 

 Commerce and Indian Affairs Committees to discuss the reauthorization of the Magnuson 

 Fishery Conservation and Management Act and its impact on Guam. I would also like to 

 commend the Chairman for his leadership on issues affecting the Pacific islands and thank 

 him for his enduring support of Guam and the many issues affecting our people. 



Guam is located in the midst of one of the world's richest natural resources, the 

 Pacific Ocean. This resource must be utilized thoughtfully and for the benefit of the people 

 who live in these waters, especially the indigenous people of these areas. Actions must be 

 taken to increase the opportunities for these indigenous people to benefit from their 

 resources. Pacific Islanders, who have responsibly managed these waters for thousands of 

 years, should receive a portion of the proceeds gained from the use of their resources. 

 Through the Magnuson Act this idea is currently being employed in Alaska where a portion 

 of the catch caught in Alaskan waters must be shared with Native Alaskans. 



During the Resource Committee's consideration of the Magnuson Fishery 

 Conservation and Management Act of 1995 I offered an amendment that would begin to 

 give the U.S. insular areas a greater role in the utilization and management of their 

 resources. Developed by the Federal-Pacific Insular Area Working Group on insular 

 fisheries and endorsed by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, this 

 amendment would allow the governor of an insular area to request that the Secretary of 

 State negotiate and enter into a Pacific Insular Area Fishing Agreement or PIAFA 



Under a PIAFA, foreign fishing vessels would be permitted to harvest in the EEZs 

 adjacent to the territories of the United States. Currently, these vessels are not permitted 

 to fish in the EEZ of the U.S. territories. Fees from such permits and licenses would be 

 used by the participating U.S. territory for the purposes of conservation and management 

 of the waters adjacent to the affected insular areas. 



Although foreign fishing vessels are not permitted to fish in the EEZs of the insular 

 areas, violations are common. In fact, in the same week the House Committee on 

 Resources considered the Magnuson Act, two Japanese vessels were seized by the U.S. 

 Coast Guard in waters adjacent to Guam for illegal fishing. An important benefit of my 

 amendment would be to increase the incentive to regulate the foreign fleets in our waters. 



Along with this testimony, I am submitting a copy of the amendment I offered during 

 the Committee's consideration of the Magnuson Act. I would like to commend the Western 

 Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council for their assistance and active participation 

 in the drafting of this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I look forward to working with you on 

 this issue as Congress considers the reauthorization of this act. 



