80 



Mr. Leggett. Do you have any facts at this point with respect to 

 tuna caught in association with porpoise by foreigners in the CYRA 

 for the current year! 



Mr. Felando. For l!>77 ? 



Mr. Legoett. Yes. 



Mr. Felando. No; I don't, except this: 



Mr. Leggett. Your educated guess would be what? 



Mr. Felando. It is hard to say right now. 



I wouldn't be able to guess on it. 



I think there are around 24.000 tons of yellowfin tuna that have 

 been caught up through the first week of February in the CYRA. 



I think at this stage, without having the information that would 

 be compiled by the International Tropical Tuna Commission, it 

 would be a guess. 



All we have is information from our vessel indicated that they are 

 viewing, in fact, they are viewing with a little dismay the fact that 

 foreign vessels are fishing tuna with porpoise. 



Tt is hard when they record that one foreign vessel got 150 tons 

 of tuna associated with porpoise while a U.S. vessel was watching. 



Mr. Leggett. You indicate that the CYRA might be closed prior 

 to the end of April when the American fleet would be allowed to 

 iish under the existing law and regulations based on the most opti- 

 mistic projections? 



Mr. Felando. Yes; the reason for that is as you are watching the 

 figures compared with last year and the total landings like the pre- 

 liminary landings information is around 204.000 for 1076: the quota 

 this year, permitted quota, can go as high as 210.000 tons, and we are 

 really only 2.000 tons behind last year for a comparable period. 



Mr. Leggett. What is the estimated closure date that you would 

 expect this year, assuming that the American fleet continued to lie 

 limited as it is? 



Mr. Felando. You are forirettino; the foreign fleet is larger in 

 size for this year and asking for the guess. I think the scientists 

 should be considering early April, not a date in March. 



Mr. Leggett. That would be assuming also that the quota would 

 not be reduced from the 210.000 tons? 



Mr. Felando. That is right. 



That could very well be, that scientists watch very closely the 

 size of the fish. 



They measure the fish upon landings and. 2 years ago, we were 

 very much concerned about the size of the fish that was being caught 

 in the areas where most of the vessels are operating at now, which 

 is the Central American area, so these are possibilities that the scien- 

 tists might be concerned about, the fact that the greatest concentration 

 of fishing power really ever in the history of the Commission is now 

 somewhat located in a rather small geographical area, the CYRA. 



Mr. Leggett. Would it be your view that any porpoise would be 

 saved if that program were to be carried out. that is, if the 210.000 

 quota were to be fished by foreigners rather than the way it is 

 normally fished? 



Mr. Felando. I don't think that the U.S. fleet's ability to release 

 the porpoise from the net is any greater than the foreign operators. 



