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TESTIMONY OF 



LATHPYN TROLL 



ON BEHALF OF 



SOUTHEAST ALASKA SEINERS ASSOCIATION 



AND 



UNITED FISHERMEN OF ALASKA 



BEFORE THE 



SUBCOMMITTEE ON PUBLIC LANDS, NATIONAL PARKS AND FORESTS 



SENATE ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE 



FEBRUARY 26, 1990 



I am Kate Troll. Executive Director of the Southeast Alaska Seiners Association I am 

 here today to testify on behalf of Southeast Alaska Seiners Association (SEAS) and 

 United Fishermen of Alaska (UFA) concerning the buffer strip and watershed 

 protection area aspects of the debate over Tongass timber reform. For the record. I 

 have a Master s degree in Forestry from Yale University 



The Southeast Alaska Seiners Association, based in Ketchikan, represents over 350 

 fishermen and their crews, and over 60 businesses including the major processors in 

 Southeast Alaska These businesses and fishermen reside in Alaska and Washington 

 The main purpose of SEAS is to maintain a viable salmon purse seine industry in 

 Southeast Alaska 



The United Fishermen of Alaska is a private, non-profit, statewide organization for 23 

 local fishermen's associations, including marketing and aquaculture organizations 

 and specific gear groups Including its individual members. UFA represents 18,000 

 commercial fishermen, and as such is the nation's largest commercial fishing 

 organization In addition to SEAS, seven other UFA organizations depend on the 

 waters of Southeast Alaska for fishing. Alaska Longline Fishermen's Association 

 (Sitka); Alaska Trollers Association (Juneau); Northern Southeast Regional 

 Aquaculture Association (Sitka); Petersburg Vessel Owners Association (Petersburg); 

 Seafood Producers Cooperative (Juneau); Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture 

 Association (Ketchikan); and the United Southeast Alaska Gillnetters (Juneau). 



I am sure you are aware that commercial fishing is the largest private industry in 

 Southeast Alaska. It accounted for almost 12000 jobs in the harvesting sector alone in 

 1986. when fishermen earned more than S109.000.000 Salmon fishermen, who 

 harvest fish spawned and reared in the forested streams of Southeast Alaska, grossed 

 an estimated $ 123.000.000 in 1989 



