77 



Recently, I reviewed statistical tables prepared by the Shipping 

 Information Services of Lloyds Register of Shipping and Lloyds of 

 London Press Limited. This subcommittee should know that of the 

 195 L T .S. fishing vessels of oceangoing size (45 meters in length and 

 over) most of them are U.S. tuna vessels, and that of the 148 U.S. 

 fishing vessels of 500 gross tons and over, almost all of them are 

 U.S. tuna purse seiners. Thus, a forced transfer and sale of the 

 U.S. tuna seine fleet for purposes of economic survival will effec- 

 tively remove this country's most modern and efficient high seas fish- 

 ing fleet. 



We urge this subcommittee to reverse the destructive and dooms- 

 day course set by the Marine Mammal Protection Act for both the 

 porpoise and the U.S. tuna fishery. We plead for an application of 

 commonsense to the problems created by the Marine Mammal Pro- 

 tection Act. This act must be amended so as to provide that the 

 fishermen of this country shall fish in accordance with a realistic 

 and constructive management regime for both fish and mammals. 



Thank you. 



[The complete statement of Mr. Felando follows:] 



Statement of August Felando on Behalf of 

 The American Tunaboat Association 



introduction 



I am August Felando, the General Manager of the American Tunaboat 

 Association (ATA). The ATA is a nonprofit fishery cooperative association, 

 formed without shares of stock, under the provisions of the Fish Marketing 

 Act of the State of California. Its principal office and place of business is at 

 One Tuna Lane, San Diego, California. 



The membership of the ATA includes persons who own and manage 101 

 commercial fishing vessels documented under the laws of the United States. 

 Such vessels, commonly known as tuna purse-seiners, utilize purse-seine gear 

 to fish for tuna and tuna like fish. Our member vesels operate from ports 

 located in California and Puerto Rico. Such vessels fish for tuna primarily 

 in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, but some vessels also fish in the Atlantic Ocean. 

 Exploratory ventures have been undertaken in the Central and Western 

 Pacific in recent years. 



description of the U.S. tuna fleet and its production 



There are about 213 U. S. Tuna Clippers presently engaged in the U. S. 

 Tuna fishery located in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. In 1976, we esti- 

 mate that about 334,000 tons of tuna was landed by all U. S. fishermen. Of 

 this total landing of tuna, about 320,000 tons could be attributed to these 213 

 U. S. Tuna Clippers. 1 



1976 U.S. TUNA CATCH 



Continental American Samoa, 



Species United States Puerto Rico Hawaii Total 



Yellowfin 



Skipjack 



Bluefin 



Albacore 



Total 238.3 87.3 8.6 334.2 



1 One ton of tuna provides 50 cases of canned tuna or 2,400 cans or, based upon the 

 annual per capita consumption in the United States, enough to feed 266 individuals. 

 No attempt is made to estimate the byproducts produced from one ton of tuna, such as 

 pet food, oil and meal, cattle feed and vitamins. 



