many of the other causes for which relief has been granted. In fact, 

 Mr. Chairman, I would suggest to you the reason the grounds are 

 closed on Georges Bank and on in Areas 1 and 2 is precisely be- 

 cause those are spawning grounds and they are required to be 

 closed for recruitment, indicating that there is a substandard envi- 

 ronment presently for that spawning to take place and that recruit- 

 ment to take place. 



In addition, Mr. Chairman, it has been stated here this morning 

 that overfishing has long been the cause, and that there would be 

 a cure that could have been implemented earlier. Well, Mr. Chair- 

 man, you can't have it both ways. Federal regulators have been 

 struggling for a long time to try to find out what the cause is. Had 

 they known the cause, they would have been able to implement 

 regulations sooner which would have been able to divert fishing ef- 

 fort and been able to restore the stocks. 



If, on the other hand, Mr. Chairman, that wasn't the case, and 

 they did know, then the cause of this disaster is in fact the Federal 

 Government, and that needs to be recognized here today. 



In addition, Mr. Chairman, I think we have had a lot of testi- 

 mony both this morning and otherwise as to whether or not this 

 was a sudden set of changes. I would suggest to you that going 

 from a 50 percent reduction under Amendment 5 without proper 

 SBA participation, and going to an 80 percent reduction and effort 

 within 24 months without a final Regulatory Flexibility Act state- 

 ment having been prepared by the Small Business Administration 

 and without the proper consultation by the SBA, that we do in fact 

 have a sudden economic disaster that is confronting the fishermen 

 and the fishing families of our community, all of them, Mr. Chair- 

 man, being small businesses, from the large dragger which employs 

 4 to 10 people directly, to the ice company, to the fuel company, 

 to the grocer. 



There is a specialized and efficient network and an infrastruc- 

 ture of fish harvesters who rely on the industry for their livelihood, 

 and it is not only their livelihood, it is the character and spirit of 

 our community. 



Mr. Chairman, we know this is a disaster and it is a sudden dis- 

 aster. That is why the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has 

 stepped up to the plate in the Seaport Bond Bill. I have provided 

 the Subcommittee with a summary of the appropriations in that 

 bill to show you how seriously the legislature and Governor and 

 Lieutenant Governor are in providing $14 million in various types 

 of assistance. 



In addition, Mr. Chairman, I am going to provide the Sub- 

 committee with a copy of a report from the Commission for Fish- 

 eries Research and Recovery that has been chaired by myself and 

 Representative Verga indicating clearly that we know the way out 

 of this crisis. We know the way because we have entrepreneurs like 

 Larry Ciulla who will testify before you today about an electronic 

 fish auction that is going to be supported by Massachusetts; we 

 know the way because we have entrepreneurs like Corrado 

 Buccheri, who are trying to generate a protein recovery plan that 

 will help us to diversify and support fishermen for generations to 

 come. 



