64 



Thank you very much. 



[The complete statement of Commissioner BaJtasar Corrada Del 



Rio follows : ] 



Statement 01 iii>\. Bali \ s a k Cobrada i»i:i. Bio, Resident Commissioner, 

 Commonwealth of Puerto Rico 



Mr. Chairman, Members of tin- Committee, ladies and gentlemen, 1 appea* 

 before you today to emphasize the serious concern of the people of Puerto Ricq 

 in the continued vitality of the Puerto Rican tuna fleet and tuna canning 

 industry. Tuna has been a major growth industry in Puerto Rico. It employs 

 directly 6,682 canning workers and Indirectly another 12, ooo plus crewmemberd 

 and shore personnel to directly support some . r >() tuna vessels. 



Tuna canning employment also represents 5 percent of all and 7 percent of 

 female manufacturing employment in Puerto Rico with an annual payroll of 

 $34.6 million. Fiscal Year 1976 shipments to the United States mainland 

 totalled $226 million, represented more than 40 percent of the entire U. S. 

 output and were the largest single item in Puerto Rican sales. Significantly; 

 the tuna canning industry is highly concentrated and represents 38 percent and 

 4.". percent, respectively, of total manufacturing employment in Ponce and 

 Mayaguez, the second and third largest cities in Puerto Rico. 



Representatives of the Commonwealth have appeared hefore this committee 

 and hefore the National Marine Fisheries Service to report the multiplier 

 effect on Puerto Rico of the U.S. recession (from which we have not yet 

 recovered), our 20 percent unemployment (which understates the reality of 

 more than 30 percent), population density of more than 920 per square mile. 

 lack of water power and mineral resources, high energy costs, scarcity of arable 

 land and a need for more than 500,000 jobs right now to reach U.S. mainland 

 levels of employment and labor participation. 



Members of the committee, if supplies to the Puerto Rican tuna canning 

 industry are endangered, it could close plants in Puerto Rico rather than simply 

 reducing employment and output, because some plants may be pushed below 

 the break-even point. I understand that many U.S. tuna boats including 

 Puerto Rican boats, could be are tied up and unable to fish by court order until 

 the U.S. Department of Commerce issues the 1977 regulations concerning 

 fishing on yellowfin tuna in association with porpoise. 



Let me emphasize that the people of Puerto Rico strongly favor measures to 

 reduce porpoise mortality to minimal levels. Much has been accomplished. Much 

 remains to be done. However, it appears to me that something is seriously 

 wrong with the mix of measures, timing, resources and administrative determi- 

 nation to carry out the current law. My understanding is that the key actions 

 embodied in the 1072 Marine Mammal Protections Act are: (1) negotiation of 

 international agreements to protect marine mammals, (2) scientific studies 

 concerning the various porpoise species and the association with tuna, (3) 

 scientific and technical efforts to improve fishing gear and techniques aimed 

 at protecting porpoise, and (4) regulations to govern activities of the U.S. fleet 

 and preclude imports of yellowfin tuna caught with methods causing greater 

 porpoise mortality and injury than the U.S. fleet. 



Something is wrong, because a substantial part of the U.S. tuna fleet is not 

 operating fully, effective international agreements including compliance have 

 not been negotiated, improvements in Ashing technique and technology are at 

 issue and the 1077 regulations are still pending. 



Members of the Committee. I urge a careful review of the provisions of the 

 Marine Mammal Protection Act. and of the implementation measures, timing 

 and resources applied, so that you may establish what changes are necessary 

 both to protect the porpoise and also to assure the continued vigour of the 

 U.S. and Puerto Rican tuna fleet and canning industry. 



Mr. Leggett. Our next witness is Mr. Felando. 

 Please identify the folks that you have at the table. 

 That will be helpful for our record. 



