90 



the wolf problem; and if you think it is a simple thing to deal with, 

 it is not. We were trying to protect the indigenous people's, the na- 

 tive people's food chain, their land-based subsistence animals. 



And we proposed a State-regulated taking of the wolves, which 

 had expanded in population at the same time the caribou herd had 

 been collapsing. You all read about it and have seen the reactions. 

 Maybe some of you all were involved in it, I do not know. But I 

 have got to tell you, this nuisance animal problem is going to in- 

 crease as the populations of these marine mammals continue to in- 

 crease in our State; and while I am willing to make it a crime to 

 shoot them, the protection has to assume that someone has the 

 right, at some point, to manage the levels, to protect the other re- 

 sources that we depend on. 



I hope that we will get there sometime. Ms. Young, I think you 

 and I might have lunch some day, and see if we can find a way 

 to come through that. You do not think you want to do that; right? 



Ms. Young. No, I would be happy. Am I allowed to buy, or do 

 you buy, or? 



Senator Stevens. I buy. [Laughter.] 



Senator Kerry. Are you going to spread that around a little bit? 

 [Laughter.] 



Ms. Young. Oh, I am easy. 



Senator Kerry. After all this, you reminded me, I do come from 

 your State. [Laughter.] 



Ms. Young. Then it is a lot more convenient. 



Senator Stevens. Mr. Kaelin had a comment. 



Mr. Kaelin. Mr. Chairman, if I could respond to Senator Ste- 

 vens' last comment, I am referring now to the net pen predation 

 issue which I talked about in nw statement. We know that this is 

 not going to be an easy issue for our industry to deal with. The 

 public perception that marine mammals are on a higher plane than 

 other land-based predators is very clear to us, and it is not going 

 to be easy. We have had people threaten to boycott our fish, and 

 so forth. 



But we feel that we have no alternative but to meet this issue 

 headon, and that is why we have called for this task force, so we 

 could get it public and create a legal solution, and as our industry 

 grows, put the problem behind us. We are very interested in devel- 

 oping technological answers too, and we have all of them employed 

 that exist. 



So, I do agree it is difficult, but we do not see any choice — we 

 cannot keep our head in the sand. We have advised those people 

 in our organization who want to go illegal on this issue, that it is 

 the wrong way to go. So, I would like to just add that. 



Senator Stevens. Thank you very much. We appreciate your an- 

 swers. 



Senator Kerry, Let me just ask a quick question of Ms. Young, 

 if I can, I share your concern about tne observer program, whicn 

 I said earlier, and the need for observers, and the level of data. Be- 

 tween the two programs, the two sort of data-gathering proposals 

 of NMFS and the working group, where do vou come out: 



Ms, Young, I would definitely support the NMFS proposal. You 

 know, I think that they deal more effectively with the need to have 

 reliable sampling. 



