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The negotiated critical stock proposal, which has been presented 

 to you, will protect both fishermen and marine mammal stocks 

 where interactions are recognized to be of concern. This approach 

 will develop cooperation and ultimately will focus scarce resources 

 where they can be expected to have the greatest impact. 



The Maine Aquaculture Association has not taken a position on 

 this regime because the marine mammal interactions about which 

 our salmon net pen industry is concerned arise from the presence 

 of robust harbor seal and gray seal populations in Eastern Maine. 



During the winter months of the past 2 or 3 years, Maine's $50 

 million salmon net pen industry has experienced losses from seal 

 predation that are estimated to be as high as $5 million each year. 



I participated in the discussions that produced a second proposal, 

 concerning the intentional lethal taking of pinnipeds for the Maine 

 Aquaculture Association. Unfortunately, our efforts to develop a 

 regulated permitting system which allows for the continuation of 

 intentional lethal takes of individual animals from robust seal pop- 

 ulations, to protect gear and catch in the marine finfish aqua- 

 culture industry, ultimately failed. 



Accordingly, we did not sign on to this proposal, and must now 

 work with you and NMFS to develop a process that will be success- 

 ful in helping to resolve a serious predator control problem. The 

 proposal's requirement that individual animals be identified before 

 the beginning of a 135-day permit application review period does 

 not constitute a workable permitting process for the salmon net 

 pen industry. 



We are concerned that the reauthorization of the MMPA this 

 year may not produce an opportunity for finfish growers to develop 

 a legal strategy for coping with the impact of abundant and grow- 

 ing seal populations in eastern Maine. Our inability to be success- 

 ful in this effort will create a significant impediment to the contin- 

 ued development of the marine finfish aquaculture industry in the 

 Northeast. 



In order to help to avoid this outcome, today we are asking that 

 the National Marine Fishery Service immediately establish an in- 

 formal intentional lethal taking task force. This group should begin 

 to meet to consider the possible authorization of a general permit 

 for salmon farmers before this winter. 



At the same time, we ask this committee to develop a specific au- 

 thorization for the salmon net pen industry to request from the Na- 

 tional Marine Fishery Service a permit for the intentional lethal 

 taking of individual nuisance animals which can be identified to a 

 wildlife management agency for removal once habitual predatory 

 behavior is exhibited, and after other nonlethal means of deter- 

 rence have failed. 



These brief comments attempt to summarize for you the major 

 MMPA reauthorization issues which I understand to be of interest 

 to several Maine fisheries. Many other technical issues could be 

 discussed, but I will instead respond to any questions which you 

 mav have for me. 



(Jn behalf of the Maine Sardine Council, the Associated Fisheries 

 of Maine and the Maine Aquaculture Association, I want to thank 

 you again for the opportunity to be here today. And I would like 

 to thank both of you personally for all of your efforts on behalf of 



